A Mighty Heart
by With This Naked Truth
Summary: In a love story surrounding two Aesir gods who are banished to earth, the safety of many worlds are in the keep of one in search of humility, Thor-Odinson, the future king of Asgard and another sent to guide him in Midgard: Halea, the goddess of war. Rated M for violence and adult themes. Enjoy from Lady Elle :
1. An Aesir Woman

**A Mighty Heart**

**A THOR fanfiction**

The strength of a woman can carry the weight of the world on her shoulders.

**Enjoy.**

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><p>A bead of sweat rolled down the back of my neck, travelling down between my shoulder blades.<p>

I panted quietly as all of my muscles tensed, my body falling into a crouch. I memorized the feeling of the stone beneath my feet and inhaled, my fingers curling around the hilts of my long swords.

The Aesir soldiers around me charged when I let out a battle cry, my blades cutting the air audibly. One of the men threw out an elbow and caught me in the face, splitting my lip. I retaliated by catching him with a roundhouse kick to the chest, smiling triumphantly before turning back to the fight. I sparred with the men, smiling at the adrenaline that was rushing through my veins.

"Halea," a sickeningly sweet voice called out. "Could I join you?"

I instantly narrowed my eyes but did not turn away from the task at hand, "I am busy and I do not have time to entertain you Sif."

"I wonder if Thor would entertain, then..."

I spun on my heels to face a tall brunette who was just entering the training salle, seething as she smirked at me. "You insist on provoking me Sif- why don't you go play with those other little girls that call themselves Aesir fighters and leave me to training my legion? We both know you only wish to spar with me because you yourself could not join King Odin's soldiers, goddess," I mocked openly, my men moving to stand behind me. "Do not be jealous that I know of my own femininity," the woman in front of me replied. Sif knew well that my standing as the goddess of war was a sore spot for me- other Asgardian women were given titles like the goddesses of love or music; yet, I, due to my birth and tenacity, was given the only title that was befitting.

I was the goddess of war.

"Pick up your sword, Sif," I murmured, watching as she did just that.

She was no match for my innate prowess as a hunter and a warrior, being as I had disarmed her within seconds of the start of our bout. "Now let me show you why they call me _valkyr," _I hissed before my eyes rolled back. A shriek split the air and then I was surrounded by an impenetrable cloud of darkness, my valkyries beating the air around me before parting slightly.

I narrowed my eyes as my lips curled into a smile: "Get her."

The valkyries moved to surround Sif, clawing and screaming. I watched with careful eyes, willing them to attack without mercy.

"Halea," a deep voice bellowed.

I sighed even as I watched Sif struggle to fight off the valkyries, "What, Thor? I am busy."

"Call off your demons."

Without even turning to face the god behind me, I gave a lazy wave of my hand and my valkyries, smoke and wrath though they were, ceased their assault. Thor moved past me to console Sif on the ground, his eyebrows furrowed. "Olrun, take Sif to her quarters- I will meet you there shortly. However, I must first have a talk with Halea."

I turned to the soldiers standing around me and dismissed them with a jerk of my head before moving to follow. My ears twitched as Thor took one step behind me, his armor hitting the floor with a loud clatter, "If you take another step, I will pull you back by your hair. And I mean it."

My blades flashed down to my sides and I turned my head slightly, turning to glare at Thor over my shoulder.

"How dare you attack Sif?"

"In Asgard, if a beast barks at your door and there is no master around to reprimand it, it is your job as the owner of your house to admonish the animal," I replied scathingly. "You were nowhere to be seen when your… mare of a friend came barking."

Thor chuckled humorlessly, "And so you attacked Sif with your demon birds?"

"As I will attack you if you do not leave me be," I snapped.

Thor chuckled and I turned fully this time, the male flexing his fingers in anticipation. "Then attack me you must."

The sky darkened as we faced off, the sounds of thunder booming. Clouds rolled in and I allowed myself only a moment of distraction as the rain began to fall, feeling the cool sweetness roll across my lips. The rain effectively soaked me through and with a distinctive crack of lightening, I knew the fight was on.

I threw down my swords and went at Thor head on, catching one of his fists in a death grip.

Visibly, we were unevenly matched, Thor a good two feet taller than I and at least one hundred pounds heavier. I was small and petite, but Thor and I both knew that appearances were just that. Many a time I had brought him to his knees or injured him in a mild round of sparring, but now that we were actually in a fist-fight, I knew Thor would not hold back in the slightest.

And neither did I.

Thor punched me in the stomach and I doubled over before kneeing him in the groin, Thor grunting loudly. I head butted him before kicking him, my body arching into a back flip away from the power I knew were behind those deadly fists. He roared and charged me, bringing his hand across my face. The power behind his blow was staggering and I fell to my knees, sliding back across the wet stones.

"You can stop this Halea," Thor panted.

I rose to my feet and glared at him, "Yes- but I don't want to."

My valkyries, hearing the unspoken command that I gave, stepped forward back onto the training salle floor. No matter how menacing I was with my own small army of six behind me, Thor only smiled and threw out one hand, my eyes widening angrily.

"Mjolnir!"

There was a whistling in the air and then Thor caught his hammer out of the air, staring at me as the valkyries grew angry, shrieking at him. He told me once that Mjolnir was like an extension of his arm, a part of him that he only knew had been missing when it was in his hand. He knew its magnificent power because it resided within him, an ever there presence within his soul.

Thor only wielded his hammer more furiously than I had ever seen him fight, every valkyrie that he destroyed disappearing in a puff of ash and smoke.

As I watched him my anger began to wane and to his surprise, the last two valkyries conceding upon my order. Thor's eyes swept over the deadly creatures as they backed away and turned into barely substantial wisps of black smoke that promptly disappeared.

He then looked to me, the sky slowly starting to lighten, his chest rising and falling heavily.

My clothes clung to my form tightly and I would have been a fool not to see the look in Thor's magnificent blue eyes as he took me in. And then there was that tension we had so fought to ignore all these years, full of passion and a fervor unquenched, startling and candid between us.

"I do not wish to fight with you," I whispered, for once completely defenseless and unguarded. "But you force me to lose control."

Thor stepped closer and cupped the place between my jaw and neck, his calloused thumb stroking my cheek. I swallowed nervously, reveling within the warmth of his touch. "And I cherish that about you Halea, but when you lost control and took it out on Sif- a friend that I treasure so- that angered me. But that anger should not have been taken out on you and for that I am sorry, sweet."

I closed my eyes against the burning of oncoming tears, taking a deep, steadying breath. "You don't see me Thor- you have never seen me…"

"Halea, I don't understand-"

I cut him off with a kiss, indulging in the beauty of his mouth. I winced internally as I felt him hesitate, beginning to pull away before his mouth closed over mine, soft, gentle, but with a power that went unrivaled in all of the universe- there was no more hesitation there. Thor dropping Mjolnir with a thud to cup my face in his massive hands. And then he broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against mine, breathing just a little heavier. I ran my nails up the woven leather of his sleeve and to his neck, eliciting a small shiver from him when I caressed the skin there. Fisting my hand at the nape of his glorious blonde mane, I pulled him much closer and wrapped myself around him, groaning quietly. "We are such fools."

Thor nodded before capturing my lips once more, "That is true but I refuse to go without that which I desire."

Then I broke away from him and started back towards my home, leaving Thor there in the salle, undoubtedly with a shocked look on his face.

"And so we are selfish fools."


	2. Hel

I sat down on a ledge of the famed Asgardian mountains, one of my legs folded beneath me and the other dangling out over the edge.

Humming quietly, I braided my hair absentmindedly as I stared out over Asgard, the gold and crystal city beautiful from so high up. Despite the hustle and bustle down there, up here on this ledge, my home world seemed so strangely serene.

And then I caught the scent of cloves on the air and turned, my hair whipping around my face.

"Loki, show yourself. I know you are there," I said.

It was only when I spoke that he allowed himself to be seen, lounging casually beside me, his thin, almost effeminate face nonchalant as he stared at me. I narrowed my eyes and turned away, Loki chuckling, "Must you be so cruel to the Prince of Asgard?"

"Prince? Ha- you are but a trickster Loki," I replied, smirking slightly. "Did your brother send you here?"

"No goddess, I came of my own accord to seek the source of your discontent. Every conversation in the kingdom is alight with the details of Sif's attack-"

I glared up at him and bared my teeth, "It was no attack. She provoked me into a fight and then she lost."

"Come now Halea, we both know this is about Thor. My brother is a romantic and is well versed in the pursuits of love- many women have wanted his affections," Loki said, stepping back when I stood. "Let me finish, for as I said, many have wanted his affections but Thor does not seek subservience. He seeks a challenge dear sister and you know my words are true because you see as well the fire that comes alive in his eyes when only he looks at you."

Loki looked at me honestly and I narrowed my eyes, pulling the dagger on my hip. "I have no answer for your sudden bout of honesty, but I do have a reaction," I said, pressing my blade to his throat.

"What plan have you devised now Loki?"

"The plan is not of my own doing- Mother requested your presence at dinner tonight."

My eyes flashed at the mention of Thor and Loki's mother before I dropped the dagger, staring back out over Asgard.

Frigga had taken me in as a child and raised me for the better part of my life, hoping that Thor and I would become something more. Her meddling, for lack of a better word, had not helped the relationship whatsoever- and had actually pushed Thor towards Sif.

I moved past Loki without a word, making my way back down the mountain on swift feet. Once I reached the outskirts of the kingdom, I slowed, stepping onto the Bifrost Bridge. I made my way to where the keeper of the gate stood in the open portal room, bowing respectfully. "Heimdall, I need to go to Hel," I said, his golden eyes searched mine. "You know that the King does not approve of your visits to the tenth realm," he replied in his deep bass, staring out to where the castle towered in the distance. I nodded before looking back to where the waters raged below the crystalline floors, "Open the gate."

I closed my eyes and turned my face toward the sky, exhaling softly in anticipation. I could feel the wind pick up as the clouds descended to surround me, coaxing the breath from my throat. And then I was racing through time and space itself, feeling my being separate briefly before sensing the ground below me. I inhaled as my feet returned to the ground, opening my eyes to the barren landscape that was the tenth realm, the place where the world of the living and the worlds of the dead met.

A woman stood motionless at a fork in the path, the utter silence surrounding her almost eerie. And then she stepped forward, tilting her head in an alien fashion and regarding me with unfathomable eyes.

"Sister."

Hella stood before me, looking vastly different from myself despite the coincidence of our birth. She was my twin, tall and waif-like with dark, ebony skin and pure white hair. She dressed in a colorless garb, her eyes dark and impassive as they stared into my own. I could see myself reflected in her gaze, her opposite in every way. My skin was lighter, bronzed and glowing as if a life shone from within. I was petite yet sinuously curvaceous, my form managing to show even through the most unflattering of clothes. My hair was an inky black, like that of the night sky and hanging in tight curls to the middle of my back, much shorter than Hella's.

I could see the almost silvery, colorless glint of my eyes flash in her captivating glance.

"Looking for some solitude I see," she said in her light, ethereal voice.

"Yes."

Moving past her, I stood and simply breathed, tilting my head back as I attempted to clear my mind. Yet Hella's presence made that fairly difficult, the short hairs on my arm and the back of my neck standing up in awareness.

My heart held no ill will to the other half of myself- we were kindred souls, two meant to entwine by fates much higher than ourselves. We were just so different, though, my sister preferring to dwell here at the gates between life and death instead of skirting it like I loved so. Many a time had I met her at this place between, given a choice to remain in life or join her here for the rest of time.

I sighed and turned back to Hella, her eyes watching me every movement. "I shall see you again," I said, even though I hoped never to encounter her presence again in my mortal days.

She inclined her head towards me before seeming to glide backwards to her post, instantly still once more. I left her there, frozen and unmoving, returning to the impression in the ground.

"Heimdall."


	3. Saving Him

In the days after Sif was injured, I kept to my home on the outskirts of Asgard, spending most of my time tending to my weapons and keeping house. I made many trips to Hel in that time, needing the clarity that the impasse-world provided.

It was, however, not long before I had the urge to return to Odin's castle.

I had never been far from my home and keeping away was one of the hardest things that I had ever done.

Avoiding Thor was the only thing I could do to keep myself functioning at the same level, to keep me… me. Loving him had defined me for so long- many a time I had rode into conflict at his side and more than once, had kept him from Valhalla. But the obligations of state and status were something that I had to keep in mind always. In all actuality, even though I had been raised by Odin-King and Frigga just as if I were their own child, I was nothing more than my father's unwanted bastard. I had never met him, but my lineage was clear and that in itself made me less than Thor.

He was still a child even beyond his many years and thought nothing of his own actions and exploits, wants and desires. But there was much more to being than that, especially with all the responsibilities that Thor would have in his life.

And I would not allow him to destroy himself because of me.

* * *

><p>I was in the river, waist-deep in the cold water as I washed my clothes. The sun was blazing especially hot that day and so I welcomed the coolness of the river around me, singing quietly to myself. I looked up when a massive dark shadow passed over head, seeing my Valravn passing over head. It cawed loudly once before disappearing into the clouds high above, my kiss to it riding upon the wind.<p>

"I dreamt me a dream the other night of silks and noble fur; but when I woke up this morning, they were no longer there. I dreamt me a dream the other night of amber and silver and gold; but when I woke up this morning away from my grasp they rolled. I dreamt me a dream the other night that you would love me true; and when I woke up this morning my arms were holding you…"

When I was done, I moved to lay on the bank, wanting my thin gown to dry before I made my way back to my home. I closed my eyes and inhaled the sunlight, the fresh air, the fields all around me. It was peaceful and quiet.

"Well, it seems to me that some fisherman has left his catch," Thor's rumbling voice said. "And a beautiful catch that it is."

"Why have you come to bother me?"

I opened my eyes to see Thor sitting beside me, sighing softly as he smiled at me. "I have missed you Halea. Mother said you needed some time, but you know of my rash nature- I couldn't take waiting any longer. Will you not you come back," he asked, reaching out to run his hand over my curls. I shook my head in reply and stood up, gathering my baskets of laundry.

Thor took one of the baskets from me and we began to walk back up the golden path to the villages around Asgard, his blue eyes on me the entire time.

"Is this because of the kiss? Or because of what happened with Sif- because I understand, wholly. She is a rather… obstinate creature, prone to eliciting reactions from others. And you are who you are," Thor said, struggling to speak.

I turned to look at him and sighed, standing at the door of my home. "You have a way with women and a way with words, but you do not, however, have a way with the heart. I love you, for we have been friends for a long time… but it does not go beyond that. I cannot continue you to act as if everything is alright because it is not. No longer are you a child, for you are a prince, an Aesir warrior Thor- your birthright is to ascend to the throne and you must act as if you actually care about something more than the lust to fight," I replied almost harshly, his eyes searching mine.

"You think that I care for nothing but fighting?"

"Well… yes."

Thor and I stared at each other for a long time, the taller good looking down upon me. "Never have I been so fond of one as I am fond of you Halea. You are more lovely than anyone could ever hope to find in a goddess and the mere notion of you makes me think of things that I am ashamed of. And you challenge me unlike any other, with the way your lips curve in a smile full of mischief when our eyes meet-" His eyes darkened, the storms within his gaze holding both thunder and lightening.

I knew he was to kiss me, but I could not move before he had framed my face with his massive hands, my clothes discarded unceremoniously on the ground. I should have pushed him away, but I wanted him to kiss me- I wanted him to crush my mouth with his and it was clear that he wished to do the same, his lips strained so as to gentle the kiss. A low moan vibrated in my throat and his lips intensified, his fingers tangling in my hair as I strained upwards against him.

And then I pulled away, just as I had the first time that I had kissed my god.

Thor lifted his head and gazed up at me through half-closed eyes, his cheeks splotched with red. I allowed his thumb to caress my swollen lips. "I did not mean to do that- but I am glad that I did. You make me ache and I know that I make you tremble sweet," he murmured almost hungrily.

He seemed to flinch when I only smiled and opened the door behind me, preparing to leave him.

"As I said, you have a way with words."


	4. Flowers

I knelt at my horse's calves, holding one of her hooves up in the air. "Come now Freyja darling- you must not kick," I murmured as I replaced one of her horseshoes.

"Halea. Queen Frigga told me I could find you here."

Looking up, I came face to face with a handsome, red-haired man and stood to my full height. "Were you searching for me," I questioned, brushing my hands off on my tunic. He nodded and smiled, tossing his thick red hair back over his shoulder. "Well, I guess I have. I wish to court you- my name is Baldr, god of-" the man began.

"Innocence and beauty," I finished, nodding as I looked him over. "Yes, I have heard of you."

A lot of women in the kingdom had talked of Baldr, of his charming face and pleasant nature. I knew with one look, however, that he was not any man that I could ever marry. He had no substance, no fire for the obsession that was war- he would never be any husband of mine.

"I am sorry Baldr, but I politely decline. I do not wish to take a husband."

"You mean, you do not wish to take a husband that is not Thor Odin-son," Baldr replied with a kind smile as I regarded him lowly. "Yes milady- everyone knows of your affections for the Prince."

* * *

><p>I walked into the castle library where I knew I would find Frigga, the queen sitting in a lounge chair with a gilded book upon her lap. She looked up at my entrance and smiled sweetly, "My darling Halea. You missed dinner the other night. And you look… rather irritated."<p>

"Baldr," I grumbled out through my teeth, her beautiful face falling slightly.

"Well, I just- I thought that you would appreciate some manly attention, sweet. You have seemed so down as of late after what happened between you with Sif and Thor, so Baldr seemed the natural choice. And it would have been so nice to see you preparing to marry finally," Frigga replied, moving her feet and patting the end of the chair for me to sit. "When I decide to wed, it will be with a man of my choosing and upon my own terms. I won't have just any suitor coming to ask for my hand," I replied stubbornly as I looked at her. Frigga only smiled wider and shook her head, "Ah, my maddening little one. It is no wonder why Thor finds you so frustratingly amusing." When I narrowed my eyes, she laughed and all too soon I was laughing as well- Frigga's blissful demeanor was notoriously infectious. I sat with her for a few hours, curled up with her feet in my lap as she read me sweet words from old sonnets and verses. Soon, however, Thor had joined us, his eyes unable to meet my own as he entered the room. "Halea, could I have a word with Mother alone? But do not stray far for I wish to talk to you as well," he said, inclining his head towards me in a respectful manner.

I stood wordlessly and stepped out into the hall, pulling my long braid over my shoulder as I waited.

Thor emerged shortly and offered me his arm, smiling when I took it. We walked the halls amid whispers and stares, the prince taking me to his parents room. I had never been in such an intimate place and froze at the threshold, Thor looking back to stare at me, "What troubles you Halea?"

"I have no right to enter the domicile of the All Father and All Mother," I whispered in reply, swallowing nervously.

"If you were not part of this family, I would say that your concerns are just," Thor said, reaching out and stroking my cheek. "But you are, indeed, a child of Odin and Frigga. And so, you have every right to be welcome to all intimacies in our home."

He took my hand this time and led me through the massive chamber that was the front room of the sovereign suite before exiting out onto a high balcony. We took the stairs down into the most beautiful garden I had ever seen- and never seen, for this was Frigga's own.

"Oh, my."

Thor smiled and released me as I explored.

Through all the years that I had known him, he was the only one to know of my passion for botany and the beauty that encompassed nature's quietest creatures. I explored the garden, taking in the smell of the herbs and spices growing there and the freshly opened buds of flowers as I caressed their young petals.

"Beautiful," I murmured, enamored by the splendor I beheld.

"Yes, I would agree," Thor said quietly. I stood when I heard him approach, grasping the blossom of a soft pink flower in my hands gently as I turned. His clear blue eyes searched mine, looking for something I hoped he would find. "In a few weeks, Odin-Father will have my ceremony that names me Crown Prince. There is no other I would have at my side other than my dear and trusted friend."

I swallowed when I realized that those were not the words I had wanted to hear, biting down on my bottom lip. "Of course, I will accompany you to the coronation Thor- though it is the place for a consort, not a friend. How would Sif feel when she shares the bed of Odin-son and is not his first choice," I asked in reply, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Thor's face took on a serious expression, looking up at my from underneath his dark eyelashes.

"Never have I had any wish to share my bed with Sif. You, on the other hand…"

"Don't say it-"

I could sense a smile playing on his lips and moved forward to capture them within my own, the smile slipping away as the kiss became more passionate, more determined. His hardened arms wrapped around my waist tightly and held me against his body, whispering my name softly.

If any god were more magnificent than the one that had so enraptured my heart, I did not know it- and I hoped I never knew.


	5. Hopes and Desires

I looked out of my window at the thunderstorm, light streaking across the sky before being followed by earthshaking thunder. I knew that it was no ordinary storm however, the blue of the lightening streaks being the same exact, distinct color as Thor's wondrous eyes.

"You are troubled," I murmured, looking over my shoulder at him. "I can tell by the storm. They are never this bad, never this… violent. And I have seen many of your storms after your nights; this is different."

His hair shone almost white in the moonlight, his eyes flashing down to meet mine, "Nay, I am just thinking about how you lied when you said you did not love me Halea. And do not try and suggest that the storm is a bad omen- and yes, it is different. Much more different than I could probably ever explain to you."

He then let out a chuckle before wrapping his arms around my waist fittingly, kissing the top of my sweat curled hair. I rested my head back against his massive, muscular chest, savoring the light touch of his slightly calloused fingers as they brushed the wispy hairs back and away from my forehead. I heard Thor sigh heavily against my hair and allowed himself to calm, running his fingers lazily up and down my arm as I rolled in his warm embrace to press myself fully against him. I was greeted with a loving kiss to my forehead and I looked up into his eyes, nuzzling his face playfully before he rolled over as well, baring his formerly flawless back to me. It was now marred by scratches and bloody welts, to which I gasped quietly, Thor laughing in response, "You have harmed me, have you not? My body burns."

I kissed his silky skin, now heat-flushed and tender, ghosting over the trifle wounds I had inflicted by my own hand and apologizing to each in turn.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

This was a night I savored, one moment when he was wholly unguarded- from the truth within his eyes to secrets spilling from his lips in every word and gasp, from the passionate kisses to the tender touches. I closed my eyes as I immersed myself within the passion-fueled memories of the night, remembering how I had wrapped my fingers in those glossy strands of gold, how I had watched his eyes closed as he reached Valhalla, if only for a moment. I remembered how it felt to have his heart stop as his chest rested against my own, heard how his lovely lips caressed my name. My entire being had burned excruciatingly and a sort of hollow feeling filled my soul, making me feel as if I were being smothered.

And I knew the reason why a grief so powerful had enclosed me when I should have been happy, overwhelmingly content.

I longed to be able to be with him like this for the rest of my life without all the issues this would involve and all of the people that would be against it. I was of lesser birth than he, the child of Helreginn and whatever whore woman he had lain with. The necessity to keep customs was at the forefront of Thor's life- it was the reason he would become the Crown Prince, the reason he had to take a wife.

A wife I could never be.

I pressed my toes against him, smiling sadly as Thor moved to kiss me. It was sweet, tender and full of longing even as I deepened the chaste kiss. I could feel the unspoken words behind all of the emotions wavering between us; it was the sort of kiss that only he and I could have shared, the sort of kiss I knew I would never get enough of. He chuckled before sighing as I tucked his hair behind his ear, "I think I could stay in your bed for the rest of my life, sweet Halea."

Despite the kidding tone of his voice, I knew that somewhere in his body, he actually felt something much deeper than he was willing to admit. I had known Thor since we were children and the bravado and arrogance that he portrayed for the world to see- and was well known for- was nothing more than a pretense.

I moved on top of him, peering down into his eyes before touching the tip of his nose with my own.

"I believe you should go before it gets too late; people will ask questions if they see you roaming the halls in the state you are in Thor," I murmured, kissing him gently before moving to sit up. My lover instead rolled us over and pinned me underneath his massive body, pulling one of my legs up around his waist.

"Not yet Halea- I need more of you…"

* * *

><p>My attempt to protest was silenced with a kiss and all of my hopes and desires were realized- and crushed- within only a moment.<p>

As Thor prepared to leave, I moved to watch as he dressed, feeling the already quenched urge return with a vengeance at the innately sensual movements of his immensely phenomenal form. He crossed over to my bed and bent down to kiss me one last time, tugging gently on the sheet that I had wrapped around myself. I smiled before bumping his forehead with my own as I rubbed my nose against his, my hair falling forward into my face. "I will miss you so…"

He kissed my forehead before clapping my curls gently, heading towards the door, "I know. And you know…"

I smirked even as I broke apart on the inside, knowing that neither of us could bring ourselves to say what we really felt.

"I know Thor."

When he left, I sat for a while, still basking in the raw emotions from the night I had spent with Thor as the moon filtered in through my windows at my quarters in the house of Odin-King. I knew that it was the only night I could ever have with Thor and that I would cherish it- but in the morning, I would have to resume the life that I had always led,

Because in the morning, he would still be the Prince of Asgard and I would only be the friend that would never be good enough.


	6. A Return to Normalcy

Thor was waiting for me when I emerged from my chambers, his eyes searching my face the moment I looked at him. I could see my expression reflected in his eyes: impassive, cold, and blank- not at all what he had expected.

"Halea?"

"You should attend to your duties Thor- whatever they may be," I murmured, pulling up the hood on my cloak and beginning to walk away from him. He instead pulled my arm, spinning me to face him, "Is there something wrong? Did I harm you last night or do something that displeased you? I mean, I do not understand- you did not seemed displeased when I left," Thor replied hurriedly, a confused look upon his face.

I looked up at him and pursed my lips, wrenching my arm away. "Keep your voice down and leave me be."

Without another word I turned away from him and went out to the stables, taking Freyja out for a much needed ride. I spent the majority of my day out in the countryside, racing through the wheat without a care in the world. However, I could not escape all of my problems by running away from them- I was forced to return to the Asgardian castle when a rider was sent for me, alerting me to the fact that a intoxicated Thor and Mjolnir were wreaking havoc on the Aesir warriors that were trying to control him.

I walked into the dining hall to find the Aesir, Sif, and the 'Warriors Three'- Thor's idiotic friends Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun- trying to reason with him while he proceeded to smash Frigga's favorite table.

I cleared my throat loudly, everyone turning to look at me, "Thor Odin-son. Put the hammer down."

"Oh ho! Halea, I have missed you today- missed your lovely face and those lips that could whisper bitter things so sweetly. But you have come back to me, and it is your bed we shall retire to again," he said, dropping his hammer without any other provocation on my part. Sif stared angrily and in disbelief as Thor strutted over to where I stood, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me forcefully. I pushed him away, wiping my mouth with a glare. "You are drunk."

"And oh-so susceptible to your feminine wiles," Thor grinned, right before I fisted my hand in his hair. I pulled his face down to mine angrily and set off with him like that, "I will show you feminine wiles…"

I led Thor to his chambers, pulling the key off of his belt and opening the door before pushing him through. I paced angrily as he sat back on the bed, watching me with a goofy grin on his face. "You are embarrassing, you drunken idiot! You practically told Sif, as well as my legion, that we had lain together and it will be a miracle upon miracles if it is not the topic of everyone's dinner conversation tonight," I snapped angrily, walking over to hold his face in my hands.

"I love you Halea," Thor gulped, his eyes searching mine.

"And I might actually believe you if you were not completely inebriated."

* * *

><p>I entered the massive dining hall in Odin's castle, now clean and presentable after Thor's tirade from earlier. The loud laughter and voices that had punctuated the music playing in the background all died down at my appearance. My dress was a deep red color, simple and flowing, my hair free other than a wreath braided around my hair. I held my head high even against the judging eyes, inhaling deeply as I prepared myself to speak. "I am sorry I am late," I said lightly, Frigga smiling at me as she patted the chair next to her. I knew that no matter what I had done, that she would always continue to love me and treat me as if nothing had ever happened. "There is no need to apologize Halea. Come sit while I make you a plate," she replied, pulling the chair out for me.<p>

I met Odin's eye as I sat down, the King of Asgard staring at me. I only smiled softly and began to eat, searching for Thor at the table- and finding his seat curiously empty.

"Can you pass the wine, please?"

Dinner passed without incident, many of the elders drifting off to their own quarters. The music started up and I only watched as the others began to dance, standing before moving along to my own private quarters in the castle of Odin.

I began to take off my jewelry as I stared at my reflection in my mirror, swallowing softly.

"You missed dinner," I murmured. "And you, Thor, never miss a meal."

He chuckled humorlessly and I turned to face him as he stepped out of the shadows, unbraiding my hair and brushing out my curls. Thor lit the candles in my room, moving silently and without a word. "Sweet, you know as well as anyone that there are certain standards to be upheld in a position such as yours. I could never be anymore than a bedmate to you and I have much higher aspirations than that- you as well, should hope for a wife who is gentle and loving. Who will love to hear stories of your exploits without riding in them beside you, who will bear you many children and do so pleasingly," I replied, unzipping my dress and changing into a pair of leggings and a tunic.

"Women like that bore me so," Thor said stubbornly, standing and walking towards me. He pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger before I swatted his hand away. "Apparently not, because if we were keeping track, you have conquered plenty of those boring women," I snapped as I pulled my hair up into a bun. Thor chuckled and pulled me towards him, "And you conquered the god of thunder- but if you ever tell anyone, I will deny it."

"You are a child," I spat, walking over to the door and yanking it open.

Thor stood in the doorway with his back to me before he turned, a serious look on his face.

"Marry me."

"Excuse me," I retorted in shock, blinking several times. Thor's eyes searched my own as he repeated his request, "Marry me Halea. I do not care what anyone else thinks or even what Odin-King would say to me; I just want you to say yes and be my wife."

I stood there for several moments, staring at Thor.

"Yes. Yes, Thor, I will marry you."


	7. Acceptance

For the next few nights, I shared my bed with my betrothed, basking in the newness of our engagement.

After one such night, I rolled my neck as I walked through the halls of the castle, knowing that the best remedy for the aches lovemaking with Thor had given me was to exercise. With a smile on my face, I headed to the training salle- it was the only place he could possibly be at this time of day.

"Halea."

I turned to the sound of my name being called, encountering Thor's father. "Odin-King, good morning. I did not expect to see you up this early after amount of wine you had at dinner last night," I smiled teasingly, the older god chuckling. "I could say the same for you. Off to see Thor I assume," Odin questioned lightly. "You know me too well."

With a laugh, I left him and entered the open courtyard where Thor was, smiling.

"Good morning my sweet prince," I said rather loudly, catching his attention. His eyes roamed my frame as he grinned, inclining his head towards me.

"Good morning fair maiden. Does the day find you well Halea," he asked, Thor walking over to where I stood. I gave him a soft smirk as he tucked my hair behind my ear, Thor bending down to where his lips brushed against mine hungrily. "The day finds me very well, indeed my love. However, I think I could use some… slow stretching if that sounds good to you."

Thor's eyes darkened and the sexual tension between us was there once more, unadulterated and in our faces. I squealed like a girl as he swept me up in his arms, laughing and smiling at the stolen moment in which we could be ourselves. When he let me down, I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly and pulled his face to mine, cupping his rugged cheek in my hand. "You drive me mad, my darling Odin-son," I murmured before pressing my lips to his, Thor groaning hungrily in this throat.

Before he could even respond, I pulled away, looking over his shoulder.

Odin was standing up on the balcony overlooking the salle with a troubled look on his face, having seen the overwhelming intimacy that Thor and I had tried to hide for so long.

"No," I whispered.

* * *

><p>I inhaled deeply as I opened the doors to my chambers, all who laid their eyes upon me falling silent at the expression on my face.<p>

Odin had sent for me early the next morning, requesting my presence in the throne room. It had been several days since the happenings in the courtyard and I hadn't so much as heard from the King- now in being called to meeting, I knew something had to have been wrong.

I wore a flowing golden gown with my hair loose and tousled, walking with a purpose as I struggled to stay calm. I could only imagine what Odin would say, what he would do- being banished was not a fate unheard of those who had gone against the King. I did not know if this was a betrayal or even that it was wrong- not when everything with Thor had felt so right…

"Halea, where are you going," Thor asked, coming off one of the side halls.

"To meet with Odin-King."

He looked at me curiously, "So then he wants to speak to both of us…"

I snatched his arm back and stopped, looking up at him almost menacingly. "Thor, your father knows about us. He saw is together in the salle…" Thor stepped back from me, shaking his head, "It cannot be Halea. Not after all this time- we were so careful. I know not how to explain…" I rubbed my brow before continuing to walk, inhaling deeply.

"We sealed our fate with a kiss," I whispered.

Thor and I entered the Throne Room, Odin upon his throne with Frigga at his side. She smiled almost tearfully at me- eyes glazed with a sort of clarity that hurt- a gesture that made my heart sink. Whatever Odin-King had decided would be law and Frigga knew that there would be no going against his will.

"Before we discuss anything, would either of you like to speak," Odin asked quietly.

"Please-"

He held his hand up to me and I fell silent, Odin inflicting his one icy, blue eye upon me. "No, it is not an apology I requested, and much less from you, Halea. Both of you must know that I witnessed your… interactions in the training salle last night ago. And while I understand that attraction, I do not understand why you thought you had to hide it so. Did you think I would not approve of your relationship, of the joining of the two strongest gods in the realm," Odin questioned searchingly, my eyes drifting to meet Thor's.

If it were any other man, I could not be certain of his feelings, but this man- this man I knew.

Many years together had led to the clashing of duty and want, of societal norms and taboos- and the collision of two very mighty hearts. This had been a long time coming and I knew for sure now that he too, was no longer content to carry on through this façade.

"It was always our- mine and Frigga's- hopes that the two of you would end up together. There will be a day, sooner or later Thor, that you will have to ascend to the throne and there is no one other than Halea than I can see at your side, my son," the King said, something flashing in Thor's eyes as I turned to look at him. It seemed like a part him wanted to rebel at the loss of his choice, even as another part rejoiced; I only saw the truth behind the flash because it was exactly how I felt inside.

"Is that what you request of us," Thor asked, even despite the knowledge that Odin had made his demands.

"It is."

I inhaled deeply as I glanced one more time at Thor and nodded, "Odin-King, it is my duty as one of your subjects to obey you. Such is it a great honor that you would deem me worthy of the throne and if it is Thor's wish-"

"I have already asked Halea for her hand," Thor said stubbornly, looking at his father. "And she has accepted. I was waiting… until my coronation to announce it, however."

"Oh, how lovely!"

Frigga clapped excitedly even as the one-eyed king stared at us, his lips drawn into a thin line. "You are such a foolish, headstrong boy Thor- but my son through and through. Now come, I suggest we leave your mother and your betrothed to plan the wedding. I assure you, it is nothing you want to concern yourself with," Odin said.


	8. The Crowning of the Prince

Frigga's dressmakers and personal army of handmaidens were primping me for Thor's coronation ceremony, the proud mother standing over me protectively.

My dress was a deep blue, like the accents in Thor's armor, long and flowing. The pleating at the top of the gown accentuated my bust, the split sleeves showing off my toned and muscular arms. I had never felt so feminine and womanly but now as a bride-to-be, embraced it fully. I finally felt beautiful in my skin- at home, really- and it was all because of Thor.

I watched in my mirror as my hair was half-tied back, earrings heavy and sparkling adorning my ears. A silver cuff was placed on my arm and a bracelet ornamented my other wrist, my hands folded in front of me to keep them from shaking.

"I am so proud of you Halea," Frigga said, kneeling in front of me and kissing my hands. "So very proud."

There was a knock at the door and we all looked up, Thor sticking his head into his mother's room. "I hope that I am not interrupting," he said before they welcomed him in, smiling at me. I was irritated that I could not move to embrace him as they were still pinning and making last minute alterations, Thor instead kissing me rather chastely so as not to inflame my interests.

"You look amazing," I murmured, my hand resting on his armored chest.

The robe flowing from his shoulders was a deep red, his armor a dark silver color accented by blue here and there. His helmet was tucked underneath his arm, the other hand upon his hip as he smiled. And then I noted with a knot forming in my stomach that his long, muscular legs were clad in dark blue pants- I knew the power in his thighs, legs, in his entire being…

"I thought it fitting for you to have your ring as our intention of marriage," Thor smiled, opening his hand to reveal a tiny silver ring. The metal was thin and fragile-looking, but the face of the ring was full of diamonds, the shape oblong and feminine. "Oh, Thor… its beautiful," I whispered tearfully, my betrothed sliding the ring onto my hand.

"Do not cry," he said, running a careful hand over my hair. "I fear if I upset you, Mother would have my head."

Frigga laughed and stood, "On a silver plate. Prepare yourselves children- your future awaits." She left and soon the others had departed as well, Thor and I waiting for the moment which we would announce ourselves to the world.

"I love you. Truly," Thor said honestly, looking over at me. "And I will make you see that, if you do not see it now."

"I believe you Thor."

I did not expect the feeling that suddenly enveloped my being, realizing with a start that I was afraid. I was afraid of what would await me within the walls of Odin-King's hall, the judgment that I would subjected to, the opinions that would wound my heart.

For so long, I had only wanted to be accepted and now, when I had gotten my prince, it seemed like all the discrimination that awaited me would not be worth it.

But I knew the time had come, which would seal my fate forever. I had already made my decision.

It was my choice; it was I who kissed Thor, I who had bared my heart to him, I who had taken him to my bed.

It was I who loved him.

I hadn't even realized that we were walking until the loud calls and cheers from behind the massive doors of the throne room pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked up at Thor and his eyes met my own, alive with fire and life that made me fall in love with him all over again- I was ready. With a smile, I stood on the tips of my toes and kissed him, his hand cupping my cheek.

"And now I present to you, Thor Odin-son and Halea!"

Odin's booming voice was punctuated by cheering and applause as the doors opened before us.

Thor led me down the stairs into the hall, his head held high and proud. I smiled widely, looking up at my betrothed with tears in my eyes as his shone with love and gratification that I was happy I could share with him. "And thus begins the days of Thor and Halea! May they be blessed," the king said proudly as Thor and I stood before him. I kissed Thor once more before going to stand at Frigga's side, my heart almost bursting from how proud I was of him. He knelt down in front of his father and placed his helmet at his feet, Odin-King looking down at his son with his spear in his hand. "Gungnir- my trusted spear; its aim is true, its power strong. With it, I have defended Asgard and the lives of the innocent across the Ten Realms since the time of the Great Beginning. And though the day has come for a new King to wield his own weapon, that duty remains the same. Thor Odin-son, my heir, my first born.

"So long entrusted with the mighty hammer, Mjölnir, forged in the heart of a dying star. Its power has no equal! It is a weapon to destroy or as a tool to build and it is a fit companion for a king. Today I entrust you with the greatest honor in all the Ten Realms: the sacred throne of Asgard. I have sacrificed much to achieve peace and so a new generation must sacrifice to maintain that peace," Odin-King said, Thor looking up at his father almost smugly. "Do you swear to guard the ten realms?"

"I swear."

Odin-King looked over his shoulder at me and nodded, "And do you swear to preserve the peace?"

Thor's reply was swift and full of truth, his eyes locking with his father's. "Yes, I swear."

"And do you swear to cast aside your selfish ambition and to pledge yourself only to the good of the realms," the King asked, Thor's eyes coming alive with rage. My hand tightened of Frigga's shoulder and I bit my bottom lip, knowing that Odin had chosen his words for the expressed purpose of inflaming his son.

Thor took to his feet and pulled his hammer from his belt, holding it up in the air.

"I swear!"

"And on this day, I, Odin All-Father, will proclaim you-" Before Odin-King could finish his sentence alarms began sound, Thor and the rest of the Aesir guard suddenly on alert. "Halea," he bellowed, holding his hand out to me. I went to him and looked around, the hall devolving quickly into chaos. "What is it Thor?"

"My father's weapons vault," he replied, pulling me along.

We raced to the sovereign suite and went to a massive backroom I had never known was there, the ashes of whatever intruders had been there covering the floor. Ice and water made the ground slick, my hand gripping Thor's arm tightly as I shivered slightly from the overwhelming cold.

Thor was stock-still, his eyes locked on the massive metal figure before us.

"Do not move."

Odin moved past me and looked to the figure which suddenly began to move, placing the casket in its hands on the pedestal before him. It them moved back to its post and stood there, the fiery glow within it dimming slowly.

Once the figure had moved, Thor went to join his father, "These are Jotun, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then they must pay for what they have done," Thor shouted furiously, his anger surprising me. The king turned to look at his son, gesturing to the death around them. "They have paid with their lives Thor- the Destroyer did its job, and the casket is safe. All is well, my son." I watched as my betrothed spiraled quickly into complete and utter rage, "Father! 'All is well'? They broke into the weapons vault, not the kitchens! If the Frost Giants had stolen even one of the relics-"

Odin glared at Thor and his lips became thin, his electric blue eye burning into his son's. "But they did not."

"Thor," I whispered, seeing the situation escalate.

He looked to me before storming out of the room wordlessly, leaving me to look after him sadly.


	9. A Warrior's Heart

I walked into Thor's quarters, the door unlocked and open just a sliver for me.

When I had locked the door behind me, I took off my gown and pulled on one of Thor's massive shirts, allowing it to hang off of my petite shoulders and brush the tops of my thighs as I moved down into his personal courtyard. There, I found him staring into the small pond before him, the sky dark and alive with thunder.

"Thor," I called out, walking up behind him and wrapping my arms around his neck.

He only sighed and closed his eyes, tilting his head back to rest it on my breasts. "Many years ago before our birth, there was a great war between Asgard and Jotunheim. From the cold and dark came the Frost Giants, who targeted Midgard, threatening to plunge the mortal world into ice. But we would not let them face the threat alone and it was our armies that drove the Jotun back to the heart of their own world. The cost of their war was great- their king fell and the source of their power was taken from them," I said, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "You must remember that is was Asgard and its warriors that brought peace to the universe…"

"And so it should be Halea," Thor replied, looking up at me. "Father has a truce with Laufey, the Jotun King- yet he does not respond to the actions that the Frost Giants have taken." I was silent for a moment before moving to sit in his lap, "And what action would you take?" Thor pondered my question for a moment, looking up at me intensely. "I would march into Jotunheim as he once did, teach them a lesson, break their spirits so they would never dare try to cross our borders again!"

"You are thinking only as a warrior," I whispered quietly, biting my bottom lip. Thor's eyes darkened and lightening struck somewhere behind me, the thunder almost deafening, "This was an act of war Halea!"

I pressed my lips to his, Thor's anger tangible in the kiss.

"It was the act of but a few who were doomed to fail from the beginning, sweet. Yes- they got this far, but Odin-King will find the breach in our defenses and he will seal them."

"As King of Asgard, I would-"

"Thor, you are not King," I shouted in exasperation, frustrated by his tenacity. "Not yet."

He stood, sitting me down gently before turning to walk off once more, "It is not wise to be in my company right now, dear one."

"And so you will walk away from me, for the second time today?" As Thor looked at me, I pulled off my ring and held it out to him. "Love, if you walk away again, you should take this with you," I said honestly, his eyes darkening until it seemed as if they were black with anger. Thor took a step towards me and swallowed, "Return your ring to your hand. Immediately." When I continued to hold it out to him, Thor returned to me and took me to the ground, holding my fist in his. I rolled over and tried to crawl away from him even as he wrapped his arms around my waist, vice-like and inescapable. Whatever argument that was to be had, did not come to fruition- not when I was laying before him naked other than his shirt, which was currently pushed up past my waist. He seemed to notice my state of undress for the first time, pressing up against me until I gasped in shock.

Thor leaned forward and bit down on my earlobe, causing me to moan quietly.

"No more fighting," he murmured before kissing the back of my shoulder. "And put your ring back on."

"Agreed," I replied as I slid my ring back onto my finger, feeling him moving behind me. I heard him undoing his belt and once more he wrapped an arm around my waist, his other hand positioning me almost roughly. My teeth came together audibly as he entered me, Thor pushing me forward on my elbows with the force. I felt him quiver slightly before falling into a forceful, maddening pace that I knew I would not be able to stand from easily. His pants and moans were more animalistic than I had ever heard from him or any of my former consorts, his grip on me tight enough to bruise. "Halea," he practically growled, storm overhead intensifying. Thor reached forward and grabbed one of my breasts, pulling me back towards him powerfully.

The sky opened up as Thor reached his peak, the rain falling down on us, hot and sweet. We fell forward onto the ground, both of us gasping for air as the storm darkened the sky over Asgard as if it were night.

I looked at Thor, breathless and sated, both of us staring at the other even as the rain soaked us through. My betrothed kicked off his pants and pulled his shirt over his head, pulling me into his arms before he stood. I looked at him as we walked into his quarters, yawning sleepily. "Do you feel better now," I asked, Thor chuckling as he kissed my forehead.

"I feel much better," he replied, entering the bathing chamber.

Thor ran us a bath and we slipped into the water together, my lover tilting my head back so that he could wash my hair. "Thor, if it is any consolation, I think that you are right about the Frost Giants- I am, after all, the goddess of war; I cannot turn down a fight or turn the other cheek. And if a few of them could penetrate the defenses once, who is to say they will not try again," I questioned, Thor nodding fervently.

"Yes exactly!"

"But there is nothing we can do without defying your father," I murmured as Thor stilled in his ministrations. My eyes grew wide as Thor got out of the bath and I scrambled after him, "Stop there Thor Odin-son! I know that look! it's the same exact look that got us a lashing half a millennia ago!"Thor ignored me as he dressed, my hands moving deftly as I pulled on a pair of leggings and one of his tunics. "It is the only way to ensure the safety of our borders Halea- the only way to ensure your safety, my love. I will not let anyone or anything bring you harm."


	10. To Jotunheim

Thor paced the floors in his personal training room, the Warriors Three standing with their arms crossed. Sif was lounging on the bench while I stood against the wall, staring at the behemoth of the man before me. I knew- unlike the others, who were on edge at his infuriating pacing- of why Thor wanted to call this 'meeting' of sorts; after all, he did wish to condemn all of his friends and his betrothed to death just to satisfy his need for justice.

"He has gone absolutely mad," I murmured to the open air as Thor talked to himself.

"What sort of madness," Volstagg asked, both of us looking up as Loki walked into the room. It was then that Thor looked up, his eyes meeting my own. "We are going to Jotunheim. Tonight," he announced, everyone going silent.

It took a long time before anyone spoke, Sif clearing her throat, "Thor, of all the laws of Asgard, this is the one you cannot break-"

"As I told him."

"Friend, this is no journey to Midgard, where you summon a little rain and a bit of thunder and the mortals worship you as a god. This is Jotunheim, land of the Frost Giants," Fandral said, running his hand nervously over his immaculate blonde hair. The rotund Volstagg agreed, continuing from where Fandral left off, "And if the Frost Giants don't kill you, your Father will!" Thor glared at his friends, wielding Mjolnir angrily as he stood before them. "My father himself fought his way into Jotunheim, defeated their armies, and took their Casket! Besides, we would not go for war or even for battle- just for answers."

I looked at him and sighed exasperatedly, "Thor, no matter for answers or for battle, this is forbidden!"

"Halea, trust me- all of you trust me for we must do this. It is the only way."

We all exchanged concerned looks, Sif narrowing her eyes at me as she crossed her arms. "You are his consort and he has to listen to you; you must reason with him Halea," she said, concern flashing in her eyes. I gave Thor one look and shook my head, pursing my lips. "You know as well as I do that it is pointless trying to reason with him is."

"Come on. Halea, you are not honestly going to let my brother and I take all the glory, are you goddess of war," Thor asked, smiling. Loki looked startled when I raised my eyebrow at him, before clearing his throat ad looking at his older brother. "Yes, of course I will be with you in Jotunheim."

"And I," chorused the Warriors Three, smiling at Sif.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, "I fear we will live to regret this."

"Only if we are lucky," I replied quietly, my eyes meeting Thor's.

* * *

><p>I turned to look at my betrothed as he came through my quarters, dressed in his full battle gear.<p>

Thor sighed and came to help me with my robe, my armor much like his own, though much more feminine. "I am glad you have decided to come with us tonight Halea. I know of your concerns and am thankful that they have been disregarded in my favor," he murmured, kissing the back of my neck gently. I turned to face him and pursed my lips, "What kind of woman would I be not to lead her man into battle?"

"Ah, so it is you who are leading me?"

"I would think that is clear," I answered with a smirk, pulling my hair up into a ponytail. I did not keep it long before letting my expression lapse into one of worry and concern as I reached out to stroke his bearded face. "I sorely wish you would rethink your actions…"

Thor pressed his lips to mine gently, holding my hand to his cheek, "And I wish you would trust me."

"I trust your heart Odin-son, not your head. And that is why I must find us a way past Heimdall, which will be no easy task."

We walked hand in hand to meet with our friends, the others following us to the Bifrost Bridge. In no time at all we reached the gatekeeper's Observatory, Heimdall standing at his post. "Keep your weapons sheathed and your mouths closed," I murmured before venturing forward to talk with the keeper of worlds. "You are not dressed warmly enough Halea," Heimdall said knowingly, my eyes flashing upwards to meet his. "For the freezing cold of Jotunheim would kill an Asgardian as small as you- and maybe even the mighty Thor… in time."

Loki stepped forward to intervene, "Good Heimdall-"

"You think you can deceive me, trickster Loki? I, who watch all? For ages have I guarded Asgard and kept it safe from those who would do it harm," the gatekeeper replied, his impenetrable eyes turning to me. "And in all that time, I suspect that no one has ever slipped by your watch- much less an enemy. Of course until this day; you must want to know how that happened exactly," I suggested, motioning to the others behind me and smiling softly.

Thor stepped up to stand beside me, his arm around my waist protectively, "Heimdall, may we pass?"

"Yes."

"And tell no one where we have gone until we have returned," Thor said, Heimdall inclining his head respectfully as we moved past him onto the platform. We prepared as Heimdall slid his sword into the control panel, his eyes fixing on me. "Be warned, young Halea. I will honor my sworn oath to protect this realm as its gatekeeper. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, Bifrost will remain closed to you. You'll be left to die in the cold wastes of Jotunheim."

I smiled and looked to Thor, inhaling deeply, "I have no plans to die today."

"They never do."

Heimdall turned his sword and I looked up to maelstrom of the Bifrost before me, my hand reaching out to Thor's. He enveloped my hand in his just as I felt every atom of my being start to bend towards the pull of the vortex that was our gate to Jotunheim.


	11. War and Death

I opened my eyes and looked around Jotunheim, the alien world frozen.

The ruins of a city lay in the distance and as I stepped forward, the icy surface of the planet cracked underneath my feet.

"We should not be here," Hogun murmured, his eyes meeting my own. "Too late now," Thor replied, moving towards the city. Fandral looked at Thor's retreating back before looking back at the rune on the ground, "Actually Thor, it is not. We could turn right around, hop back to Asgard, share a mug by the fire?"

I stood, looking at him for a moment longer before moving forward to follow after Thor.

We made it to the frozen city, the ancient structures of jade and ice melting and crumbling around us, undoubtedly ravaged in the war. "Where are the Frost Giants," Sif questioned, Thor moving through the city with ease. "Hiding." Thor led us to a plaza and began to look around, searching for the Jotun warriots. I swallowed as I stopped, listening intently. My hand wrapped around Brunhilda- my sword- and I looked at Thor, "Your Giants are among us."

"What is your business here, Asgardians," a Jotun asked from the shadows.

His voice sounded like cracking ice.

"I will speak only to your King, not to his foot soldiers," Thor replied, his eyes searching the darkness. I glared at him, wanting nothing more than to reprimand him for his careless words- but I knew that it would have to wait; here Thor was in command.

"Then speak."

We all turned to the source of the voice on a balcony high above us, our eyes resting on a massive blue giant who looked as if he were made of the same ice as the throne he sat upon. "I am Laufey, King of this realm," the deep rumbling voice came again.

"And I am-"

"I know who you are Odin-son," Laufey replied shortly. "Why have you brought the stench of your blood into my world?"

Thor's lips drew into a thin line as he looked at Laufey, "I demand answers as to how your men got into Asgard?" The Jotun King stood, towering over us from his throne. "The house of Odin is full of traitors-"

"Do not dishonor my father's name with your lies," Loki spat suddenly.

"Your father is a murderer and a thief. He stole what was ours, and left our world in ruins. We have the right to reclaim the Casket."

I stepped in line with the brothers, my hand on my sword. "Not when you would use it to make war against other realms," Thor said angrily, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. Laufey laughed, cold and mockingly, bending over the balcony as if to get a better look at Thor, "So that is why you have come here Thor Odin-son, to make peace. No, you long for battle- you crave it and I see you for what you are: a boy trying to prove himself a man."

Thor took a step forward and the Frost Giants stepped out of the shadows to surround us, my hand locking around Thor's wrist. Loki looked around at the Jotun, the younger son of Odin trying to reason with his brother. "Thor, you must stop and think- look around you. We are outnumbered-"

"Know your place, brother," Thor muttered, his eyes still affixed on Laufey.

"You would do wise to listen to his counsel-you know not what your actions would unleash, but I do. Go now, while I still allow it," the Frost King said as I looked up at him and nodded. "We will accept your most gracious offer. Come now Thor." I wrapped my hand around his and Thor relented, turning his back on Laufey as the Giants behind us parted to let us through. "Yes, follow the woman, child…"

I stopped in my tracks and turned slowly to face the Frost Giant who had spoken, Thor smiling.

"Did you call me woman?"

Thor swung Mjolnir once and hit the Jotun, knocking him across the plaza in which we stood. I pulled my sword and begin to slice at every Frost Giant that attempted to attack, the others beginning to do the same. The battle raged on and I turned to check on Thor's well-being, seeming him dispatch five Jotun on his own. "Come on Laufey! At least make it a challenge for me," he shouted, looking to the King. A massive Jotun came out of the shadows and headed for Thor, as I felled another two Frost Giants in an effort to get to him. The Jotun punched Thor in the chest and I shouted as he flew back across the ice, shocked when Thor rose with a grin. "Now that's more like it," he shouted, throwing Mjolnir with all his strength at the giant.

Fandral cried out and I looked over to see him impaled on a ice stalagmite, a Jotun preparing to deliver the final blow. I threw my sword, and just like an arrow, its aim was true, stabbing the Frost Giant right in the heart.

I ran to Fandral and attempted to pull him off of the ice, inhaling deeply. "I feel as it this wound will leave me marred," he said, shivering even as he tried to smile. "Atleast you still have your face," I replied, bearing his weight easily as I pulled him over my shoulder. I heard him laugh weakly as I pressed my hand over his wound, Fandral's voice faint, "Still pretty?" I nodded and looked to the others, trying to figure out the best manner in which to make our escape.

"Flawless."

Sif and Hogun joined me, supporting Volstagg between them as Loki fought to keep the Jotun away from us. "We have to go," I said, looking over Sif's shoulder at Thor. He was now hammer-less but still fighting, consumed by bloodlust and the savage thrill of the battle. "Thor!" He looked at me and smiled widely before turning back to the fight, the others looking to me for answers. "Let us leave- Thor will be fine. He wouldn't come anyway," I said, running across the ice back towards the rune. I glanced back once when my heart skipped a beat, lightening streaking across the sky as the ground seemed to fall away from my feet. I knew instantly what Thor had done: he had struck Mjolnir to the ground and hailed his lightening so that the hammer could channel the blast. But in doing so, he cracked the ice beneath us, forcing us to run faster to avoid the blackness growing underfoot.

"Thor!"

I screamed when a roar deafened me, my eyes looking up towards the sky as the Bifrost opened up above me: something was coming through the portal.

There was the sound of thundering hooves and I gasped once as Odin-King came out of the maelstrom astride his eight-legged steed. He wore his battle armor and held Gungnir in his hand, an imposing sight to all those around him.

I watched as Thor came out of the city, Laufey twisting one arm behind his back with a dagger of ice at his throat. "Laufey," Odin-King said calmly, the Frost Giant releasing Thor once he was in our midst. He struck the ground and rose himself up eye to eye with the All Father, Thor watching angrily. "End this."

"Your boy sought this out," Laufey replied, my betrothed's eyes narrowing slightly. The king of Asgard looked to Thor and nodded, "You are right- these are indeed the actions of a boy; you should treat them as such. You and I can stop this before there is further bloodshed."

"This is beyond diplomacy now All-Father. He will get what he came for- war and death."

"So be it."

Odin-King threw his spear down onto the rune, calling for Heimdall to open the gate. Before there was any other confrontation was to be had, we were yanked off of the ground and delivered back to Asgard to face the wrath of the King.


	12. Among the Mortals

I let out a gasp as we landed back in the Observatory, Heimdall's impassive eyes turning towards me.

Odin pulled Heimdall's sword from the control panel and threw it to him, glaring as Heimdall moved back to his post. Thor growled angrily, his eyes taking on that storm look that was never good.

"Why did you bring us back," he asked spitefully, his father turning to face him.

"Why, Thor," Odin-King retorted just as menacingly. "Do you realize what you have done? What you have started?" Thor hit his chest once and glared at his father, "I was protecting my home!" The All Father looked around at us and scoffed, removing his helmet. "How can you hope to protect a kingdom Thor when you cannot even protect your friends," he bellowed before turning to me. "Halea, get him to the healing room!"

I gave Fandral to the others, Sif and the Warriors Three quickly exiting the Observatory.

"Whatever the cost, the worlds must know that the new King of Asgard will not ever be held in contempt," my betrothed said, looking at his father with malice in his eyes. I stepped forward to try and control the situation before Odin-King responded with, "That is pride and vanity that talks, not leadership! Have you forgotten everything I have taught you Thor Odin-son? What of a warrior's patience, cunning?"

Thor chuckled humorlessly, "And while you wait and be patient, the Ten Realms laugh at us! The old ways are done- you would stand giving speeches while Asgard falls!"

"You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy," Odin-King snapped harshly, Loki and I both flinching as we looked at Thor.

"And you are an old man and a fool!"

I gasped at Thor's words, the All Father going silent almost immediately. I reached out and touched Thor's arm, literally feeling the rage radiate off of my betrothed, "Thor, calm yourself."

"A fool, yes," Odin whispered, something terrifying even beneath the composure in his voice. "I was a fool to think you were ready for my throne."

"Father, please," Loki said, taking a step towards him. Odin-King then looked at his youngest son and Loki stopped in his tracks, looking at me helplessly.

I already knew what was to happen- there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Odin-King seemed to stand up straighter, fixing his one eye upon his son, "Thor, you have disobeyed the express command of your King. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you have opened these peaceful Realms and hundreds upon thousands of innocent lives to the horrors of war." I watched as he plunged Gungnir into the control panel, a portal opening behind Thor.

"No- father, do not do this."

"You are unworthy of this realm Thor Odin-son," the king said, ripping one of the metal patches off of Thor's chest. He then tore his son's cloak from his very shoulders, Thor gasping in shock, "And unworthy of your title. Unworthy of the loved ones you have betrayed-" Thor attempted to hold onto Mjolnir as Odin-King extended his hand, the All Father taking it from him even as I pleaded with him not to. "I hereby take from you your powers Thor Odin-son, in the name of my father," he said, the power of Mjolnir hitting Thor in a way that disintegrated half of his armor from his very body. "And his father before him!"

I watched as Thor's armor was completely destroyed, Odinleveling the hammer at him once more.

"And I, Odin-All Father, cast you out!"

"No," I screamed as Thor was hurled backwards into the open Bifrost, disappearing to wherever Odin-King had banished him to. I turned to the All Father, seeing him stare at Mjolnir bitterly before he closed his eyes. "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor," he murmured as runes etched themselves into the side of Thor's hammer. I looked at him tearfully before clutching at my heart, feeling a raw sort of loneliness that threatened to tear me apart. "Give me to him. He will never make it alone- send me to Thor!"

Odin-King looked at me once before throwing the hammer at me, the force stripping me of my powers and armor as well before it knocked me back into the vortex roaring behind me.

I gasped before I was surrounded by darkness, unconsciousness enveloping me.

* * *

><p>"No!"<p>

I woke up to Thor's voice, grasping my middle section painfully as I rolled onto my back. He knelt down beside me and I looked up at him, his fingers caressing my cheek tearfully. "What did you do Halea," he asked, helping me up off of the ground. "I could not let you go alone," I replied faintly, Thor wrapping his arms around me and nestling his hair in my face. I looked over Thor's shoulder through the wind and dust to see blindingly bright light, my eyes growing wide.

Thor was knocked from me as I hit the ground, scrambling to get to him. Whatever had hit him came to a stop and three voices called out, tiny lights dancing through the dust cloud around me.

"Thor, get up," I said as he groaned, my hands cupping his face. He finally focused on me and I smiled as his eyes met mine, the people rushing over to us. "Come on, big guy. Do me a favor and don't be dead, okay? I am so sorry I hit you," a small woman said, coming to my side. I looked up at her and her eyes grew wide, her fingers reaching out to my forehead. "Darcy, run and get the first-aid kit!"

The one I expected was Darcy, rushed over to where we were before stopping as she looked down at Thor. "Whoa. Does he need CPR, because I know CPR Jane," the young girl said, looking at Thor like she had never seen a man before. Another person joined us as well and I stood, knowing that being as weak as I was, I could not get Thor up by myself. "We need your help," I said wearily, the first woman looking at us. "Where did you come from," she asked, looking up at the storm glowing above. I was about to answer before Thor staggered to his feet, the expression on his face one of confusion.

"My hammer," he muttered, looking around.

I winced as I thought of the blow I was dealt, Darcy looking to me, "Yeah, you're out in the middle of the desert- you must both be pretty hammered..."

I watched as the people began to look at the runes underfoot, exchanging an excited look. The woman who had first come to help Thor took out some small device and pointed it towards the ground, talking excitedly. "We need soil samples, light readings, everything-"

"Jane, we need to take these people to a hospital," the man said, looking at Thor as he stared up into the stars.

"Father! Heimdall- I know you can hear me! Open the bridge-"

I grabbed Thor's arm and yanked him around to me, "Thor, we have been banished; you know as well as I do that Heimdall will not open the gates for us. There is no use in yelling- save your breath." He looked at me hopelessly before he turned to the man watching us, pointing at him. "You there, what world is this? Answer me!"

"Just calm down," the man said, holding his hands out towards us. "You're in the desert outside the town of Puente Antiguo."

"But in what realm," Thor roared, unsatisfied by the confusing answer. "Alfheim? Nornheim?"

I looked around at the creatures smaller than I had ever seen- other than myself, of course- and sighed, biting my bottom lip. "Thor, I believe this is Midgard. It has changed much from the cold and primitive society I remember… but this is Midgard the same," I murmured, his eyes suddenly enraged. He began ranting and raving, the tiny one named Darcy pulling out some sort of weapon and leveling it at Thor.

He only turned and laughed at her, holding his arms wide as if to challenge.

"You dare threaten Thor with so puny a-"

I watched as small wires came out of the weapon, hitting Thor in the chest and knocking him unconscious within an instant. I stared at her, angered as I reached for my sword, which was as a result of Odin-King's strike, was gone.

"What? He was freaking me out," she said, everyone turning to look at me.

"Take him to a healer," I said demandingly. "Now."


	13. A Human Sort of Weakness

I watched over Thor protectively as several men struggled to get him onto some sort of small transportation device that he dwarfed, looking up at the small, fragile looking building before us uncertainly.

"This is where you keep your human healers," I asked Jane, unsure whether or not Thor could be adequately taken care of here.

She led me into the building and put me before a woman sitting behind a desk. "Hi, we were involved in a car accident I called in about. This woman is with the man we found in the desert," she said, the woman behind the desk smiling at me before looking at my forehead. "Oh, honey, you're injured as well- but first let me get your companion's name."

"His name is Thor Odin-son, god of thunder, prince of Asgard and heir to the throne," I replied confidently, the woman giving me a strange look. I looked over my shoulder as Thor was wheeled away, nervous about letting him out of my sight for even a second in this strange new world. "And your relationship to the god of thunder?"

"We are to be married," I smiled, Jane and Darcy both looking at me.

After we had dealt with the questioning woman, we sat in a room full of people, the man sighing beside me. "You know, we have no idea who you are either," he said, turning to face me.

"I am Halea-"

"The goddess of war," he asked, chuckling until I gave him a severe look. "Yes. Well, then I am Erik Selvig, scientist."

I extended my hand and nodded, "Nice to meet you Erik."

We waited for what seemed like hours until I was allowed to see Thor, finding him still on the strange bed, tied down with straps, and dressed now in a short gown that left him virtually naked. I ran my fingers up his bare calf before moving up to grasp his hand and kiss his forehead, "Oh Thor, my sweet boy."

A woman dressed in white came in and I watched as she inserted a needle into his arm. "Hi, I'm just here to get a little blood. We need to run some tests," she whispered as Thor began to stir. I reached over and slapped the weapon from her hand angrily, "Get away from him! How dare you attack the son of Odin?"

Thor attempted to sit up at the sound of my anger, struggling against the throngs that held him down.

"Halea," he said, panic rising in his voice.

"I need some help!"

Two other men raced into the room and attempted to hold Thor down, the woman trying to reason with him. "We're trying to help you- both of you," she said, holding one of my arms as I attacked the men who threatened my betrothed.

"Then bring me healing crystals, you savages," Thor roared, finally freeing himself from his ties. He hurled one of the men across the room just as others came to join the chaos, pushing the bed aside and lashing out with his fists. I joined him before I was taken to the ground, Thor completely losing his mind at the sight of me overpowered. "Get off of her!"

"Calm down," one of the men shouted as they finally got him back onto the strange contraption. From what I could see of his face Thor looked shocked that such a small group of humans could subdue him so easily.

"Thor, Odin-King has stripped us of our powers," I said, struggling briefly before a man knelt at my side.

I felt warmth spread through my being, and then I felt no more.

* * *

><p>When I awoke again, I was in a darkened room, tied down much like Thor had been.<p>

I strained against my bonds weakly, tears streaming from my eyes as I realized how hopeless my situation was. My temple ached dully and I winced, trying once more to free myself. "This is not possible," I said, mustering all of my strength and bowing my whole body up. With a quiet cry of triumph, I smiled as one of my hands slipped free of my restraints.

Quickly, I freed myself and searched around my room for a weapon, finding a small, thin dagger.

I walked out into the empty hallway, attempting to orient myself around the building. Once I discovered where I was, I found my way to Thor, entering his room and closing the door behind me. "Thor, we have to go," I whispered, padding across the floor.

"Halea, what is there to do now?"

I looked at him and began to slice at his restraints, "Does the god of thunder find himself weak?"

Thor sat up and glared at me, rubbing his bruised wrists. I took his massive hands in mine and kissed them, looking at the window. "Where will we go love," he asked, looking at me. I smiled and went over to the window, opening it wide enough for both of us to get out.

"We must find Jane."

When we got of the window, I looked around, Thor taking my hand and leading me behind the building from which we had just escaped. I heard yelling voices and we moved towards them, pressed against a wall to avoid being seen. "This is just typical Erik, typical! I just lost my most important pieces of evidence," I heard Jane shout, slamming a door. Thor grinned and pulled me along, both of us rushing out to the metal vehicle that had brought us out of the desert in the first place. "Jane, Erik," I called out, the woman jumping out of the car to look at us. "We need your help. Please."

She looked at Thor and I for a long moment before nodding, "Let's get you some clothes."

We got into the vehicle and Jane began to steer it through the streets of the human city, Thor and I looking at the passing scenery in wonder.

"Everyone is so childlike," Thor murmured, his hand wrapping around mine.

I smiled and nodded, perplexed but just as in awe as he was. "These women dress so strangely…"


	14. Proof

"Ah."

I clutched Thor as we stood in what Jane had called her 'shower', my legs wrapped around his waist as bullets of waters pounded our flesh. "I miss your rain," I whispered quietly, looking at my betrothed sadly. I played with the hair at the nape of his neck as Thor sighed, brushing my hair back from my face. "Come, we must be gracious to our host. I feel that she needs us for something," he said, pulling one of the towels that she had given us and wrapping it around me.

Thor and I dressed in the clothes that Jane had provided, unsure of how to feel in the strange fashions.

I was clad in a pair of pants that were made of coarse, stiff material and tight fitting top that showed off my buxom figure, as well as leather boots. I watched Thor as I pushed up my sleeves, my betrothed dressing in a pair of pants similar to my own and a gray shirt that showed off his chest and arms from the clinging fabric. "I must say, you look very pleasant in Midgardian clothing," I smiled, Thor running his hand back through his hair self-conciously as he grinned. As we exited the bathroom, Jane and Darcy sat in her kitchen, looking at us. "And the lovebirds emerge," Darcy said, Jane stifling a quiet giggle. Thor and I exchanged a look before he decided to go venture around Jane's home.

"I hope you don't mind me saying- but for crazy homeless people, you guys are pretty good-looking. I mean, you're gorgeous and Thor's… hot," Darcy said.

I looked at Thor as he touched some of Jane's things, interested with the equipment that cluttered several desks. Jane rushed over to stop him and I looked at them, Thor smiling. "Thank you for my clothes Lady Jane," he said, taking her hand and kissing it. "Yeah, they were my ex-boyfriend's. And the only clothes I had that would fit you," Jane replied shyly, her eyes running over Thor's form. "They will suffice," I spoke up, moving to join them.

I noted an image hanging on the wall, narrowing my eyes before smiling, "Look Thor. It is home- and that is you, coming through the Bifrost."

"What's the Bifrost," Jane asked, writing down in her journal.

My attention was drawn elsewhere as Erik made his appearance, my face lighting up at the sight of the older man. "Erik Selvig, god of science," I teased, bowing playfully before my stomach rumbled. "Oh, this mortal form has grown weak."

"Sustenance sounds great," Thor agreed.

* * *

><p>Thor and I ate ravenously in a hall they called a 'diner' as the others watched us, plates upon plates of food sitting before us.<p>

"Can you tell us exactly what happened in the desert," Jane questioned, leaning forward. Thor met her eyes and the look on his face was one of intrigue, the attraction between them wavering in the air. Jane sat back, flustered as I narrowed my eyes at her. "Maybe start with how you got inside that cloud."

Thor only drank from the mug in front of him and turned to me, nodding, "This drink, I like."

"The coffee, yes- Izzy makes the best in town," Darcy said just before my betrothed hurled the mug to the ground. Thor pounded his fists on the table once, requesting attention and service, "Another!" Jane quickly began to apologize and clean up Thor's mug, both of us looking at the other quizzically.

"What was that," she asked underneath her breath, Thor shrugging in confusion. "It was delicious; I want another," he answered, Jane glaring as she stood up. "Then you should just say so Thor!"

He chuckled once and looked at me, "Is that not what I did, Halea?"

"I mean ask for it- nicely," she said, Thor inclining his head respectfully.

"I meant no disrespect, Lady Jane."

I reached out and wrapped my hand around Thor's, looking up at him. "Oh my Halea, how lost I would be without you. I do not deserve your dedication my lovely," he murmured, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing my knuckles. "I know you do not, but you may have it anyway," I replied as Thor grinned, leaning in to kiss my cheek.

Several men walked in, covered in dust and looking weary.

"You missed all the excitement out at the crater," I overheard one of them say, Jane and Erik exchanging a look. "What crater," Erik asked, the men turning to look at us. "They're saying some kind of satellite crashed in the desert. We were having a good time with it til the Feds showed up, chased us out…"

They continued to talk as I turned back to eating, Thor doing the same- I had never been so hungry in my millennia and a half of existence.

"But yeah, it was heavy, real heavy. Nobody could lift it," one of the men said, Thor and I exchanging a look. "Do you think it is Mjolnir," I asked, a smile spreading across Thor's face. "Only one way to find out." He got up and headed to one of the men, asking the location of the 'satellite' or whatever it was. "Its about twelve miles east of here, but I wouldn't bother! Looked like the whole army was coming in when we left," the man replied as we walked out of the diner.

"He said east," Thor murmured, gauging our path as he studied the position of the sun. Once we knew where we were going, he took my hand and began to walk, the others running after us. "Wait! Where are you going?" Thor was suddenly single-minded and determined, ignoring Jane. "We are going twelve miles east of here," he said confidently, my eyes fixed on Jane.

She looked at me, confused as I smiled, "That's the exact opposite way from which you came! Why are you going to the crash site?"

"To get what belongs to us."

"So first you're the god of thunder and the goddess of war, and now you own a satellite," Jane questioned. I shook my head and let out a sound of impatience, Thor looking towards the dirt road ahead of us. "It is not what they say it is, Lady Jane," he said, turning to look at her. "Well, whatever it is, the government seems to think its theirs. You intend to just walk in there and take it?"

We stopped and Thor looked down at her, "Yes."

I swallowed and looked around at the sweltering landscape, feeling sweat running down my back. "If you take us there now, we will tell you everything you wish to know. All the answers you seek about the Bifrost and the world we come from will be yours- once Thor reclaims Mjolnir," I said, Thor nodding in agreement. "You're both delusional," Erik suddenly exclaimed, looking at Jane. "Listen to them! 'Thor', 'Halea', 'Bifrost', 'Midgard', 'Mjolnir'. These are the stories I grew up with as a child!"

"And we are the gods who lived those stories," Thor said coldly, Jane looking up at him.

She sighed and nodded, "He's right. Your… story is a little crazy; I'm sorry- I can't take you to where you need to go." Thor bowed to all of them and I shook my head, disappointed in the humans before me.

"We will prove it to you. Farewell, mortals."


	15. To Find Our Way

I rode Thor's back as night fell, sighing softly.

"I feel as if we will not make it," I murmured, my arm around his neck. "I have never felt so hopeless."

"Shh, Halea. There is always hope-"

The sound of a roaring mechanical beast caught our attention, both of us turning to see Jane in her vehicle. "Hey, you two need a ride," she asked, her eyes wide with excitement. Thor and I got into the car and we prepared for battle, Jane talking animatedly as she looked at us. "So I've never done anything like this before! Have you ever done anything like this before?"

"Many times child," I replied, Thor turning around in the front seat to smile at me. "And you are brave to do it."

"They just stole my entire life's work- I don't have anything else left to lose," Jane said, shaking her head as I leaned into the front seat. "They who," I questioned, knowing that there would be a fight ahead- I wanted to know my enemy. "They're SHIELD agents, top secret government guys-"

I interrupted her, curious, "Like the Aesir of our realm?"

"Realm? Really, who are you- you talk so strange and I, I just don't understand," the woman said, looking between Thor and I curiously. I smiled smugly and Thor chuckled, nodding even as he revealed nothing. "You will see soon enough."

Jane swallowed, her hands tightening on the steering mechanism in front of her, "You promised me answers Halea."

"That I did," I answered, sighing. "What you seek- it is a bridge"

"A bridge? Like an Einstein- Rosen bridge?"

Thor shook his head as we peaked the hill, looking into the valley below us, "More like a rainbow bridge."

I looked at the barricade set around what I suspected as the crater, seeing many vehicles larger than Jane's and men with weapons protecting whatever was behind the fortification. It seemed to be like a maze of clear tubes all leading to a central area, Thor closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. "Yes, it is Mjolnir…"

"Jane," I murmured, looking up as I heard thunder rumbling overhead. "You may need a cloak."

* * *

><p>Even though Mjolnir was not my weapon, through Thor I could feel its immense power- and its undeniable pull- lightning streaking across the sky.<p>

We broke through the wire fence around the barrier and I moved to disarm the guards, moving silently and quickly. I pressed my finger to my lips and we moved further into the compound, Thor following behind me quickly.

A blue glow began to emanate from the complex and I smiled, "Mjolnir."

We looked at each other as we were blinded with artificial light, alarms sounding around us. We took shelter behind the nearest building with wheels, Thor looking up at the sky. "The rain is coming," he panted, my eyes growing wide- I had never seen him fatigued, not once in over 1,500 years.

"Boss, I'm not seeing anything out here," one of the guards said into a small handheld device.

Thor rushed him before I could blink and wrapped one of his arms around the man's neck, rendering him unconscious with ease. "Thor, hand me the weapon," I hissed, catching it when he did just as I asked. I quickly figured out how to work it and tucked it underneath my arm, looking at Thor. "I will make a distraction, but you must get to Mjolnir," I said, Thor looking at me as the rain began to fall. We kissed and I inhaled deeply, preparing myself to get killed. "This is stupid…"

I ran across the landscape in front of the SHIELD agents, seeing them coming after me. I saw Thor disappear into tone of the tunnels and smiled, hearing the men following. "You stop right there and drop that gun," an agent said, popping up in front of me. With a smile, I set the weapon down and raised my hands, "Alright." As soon as he gave me pause, I began to fight the many men, the rain aiding me in slipping past them back towards the barricade. I ran as the men behind me regrouped and gave chase, ducking into the tunnels.

Lightning streaked the sky and I watched through one of the clear walls as a bolt struck Mjolnir, causing the earth to shake. I saw Thor fighting guards and began to hit the wall, smiling at how close he was to his hammer.

"Freeze!"

I turned and ran at the agent who was pointing a gun at me, calculating when he would fire. I launched myself at him and kicked him in the chest, knocking him back into the other agents who were trying to catch me. I looked at where Thor was nearing the entrance to where Mjolnir was being held, seeing the agents behind him. I tore through the tunnels- punching, kicking, elbowing, biting- doing whatever it took to get to Thor.

A massive agent stood between Thor and Mjolnir as I entered the complex, Thor sizing up his enemy with a smile. "You are big," Thor said before giving me a look.

"But I have fought bigger."

I watched as he tackled the agent and slid through the mud, punching and fighting. I looked at storm above us before running to where Thor was, the massive man standing above him. With a shriek, I ran and jumped on the man's back, wrapping my small but impressive arms around his neck.

"Thor," I said menacingly, feeling the energy draining out of the agent. "Get Mjolnir. Now."

Thor stood in front of Mjolnir- soaked, bleeding from whatever wounds the behemoth underneath me had inflicted, covered in mud and dirt. Energy surged around the hammer as I watched him, glowing brighter as Thor approached. "Mjolnir," he murmured with a smile, wrapping his hand around the handle. He lifted once and I was horrified to see that it did not move, Thor confused. He tried again, anger quickly welling up inside of him at the fact that he could not touch Mjolnir. "No," Thor screamed, straining with all of his might.

I looked up at the storm, tears running down my face, "He is worthy! I know he is worthy."

"Father enchanted my hammer," Thor said, seeing the runes glow at his touch. He gasped and fell to his knees, knowing that he had failed. I went to him and wrapped my arms around him, pressing my chin to the top of his crown as I tried to console him.

"We will find a way home, sweet," I whispered, looking at the agents that had surrounded us. "We will."


	16. Escape

I sat in a room with Thor, our hands chained to a table even as we grasped each other for dear life. We did not speak, my betrothed instead just looking at me as I hummed quietly.

Looking up as an agent walked in, I narrowed my eyes, "Let us go."

"So you can wreak some more havoc? I think not," he replied. "By the way, I'm Agent Coulson- nice to meet you…"

"My name is Halea, goddess of war," I seethed, the man chuckling. "Sure you are. But you might be, after all, its not easy to do what you did. You made us all look like a bunch of little mall cops, you and your… beau; that's hurtful. The men you so easily subdued are highly-trained professionals, and in my experience, it takes someone who's received similar training to do what you did to them. Would you like to tell me where you received your training?" I glared at him, Thor making no attempt to respond. Coulson knelt down beside me after giving him a meaningful glance, looking at me, "So where was it? Pakistan? Chechnya? Afghanistan? Then again, you strike me more as the soldier of fortune type. What was it, South Africa?" I smiled, looking at him with an expression that made him flinch back in shock, "Try Asgard."

He then turned to Thor, sighing. "Your lady friend is proving to be difficult. Who are you?"

"Just a man," Thor said, finally speaking as he turned to look at the agent. "Well, one way or another, you'll tell us what we want. We're good at getting people to do that." We both watched as he left, Thor exhaling heavily and lowering his head.

"I though he would never leave," Loki's voice came, both of us looking up to see him standing in front of us. Thor's hands broke free of my own and he smiled, "Loki! I have missed you!" The younger son of Odin nodded, looking to Thor evenly. "I had to see you-"

I strained to free myself from my chains, impatient, "What has happened Loki? Is it Jotunheim? Where is Odin-King; we can explain-"

"Father is dead."

Thor and I stared at Loki, stunned and in shock at his quiet words. "Your banishment, the threat of a new war- it was too much for him to bear," Loki murmured, Thor looking physically sick. I knew that he felt responsible and I grabbed his hands, tears running down my cheeks.

"Thor, you cannot blame yourself. You loved him and he, you-"

"It was just as I tried to tell him, but he would not listen. It was cruel to put the hammer within your reach, knowing you could never lift it… And so the burden of the throne has fallen to me now-"

I looked at Thor as he gripped my hand tightly, his voice full of pain, "Can we come home now Loki?"

"The truce with Jotunheim is conditional upon your exile and Mother as well has forbidden your return," Loki said quietly, his eyes flashing green. Thor nodded and lowered his head, completely defeated. "This is goodbye, brother, sister. I am so sorry."

"No, I am sorry Loki. Thank you for coming here," Thor replied, his brother inclining his head before disappearing.

I looked at Thor, feeling his pain and becoming angry at all that was wrong in the universe. I felt my rage began to well up, shocked when I heard the distinct sounds of my valkyries around me. "Thor," I murmured, feeling them becoming more and more tangible. He looked up in shock at the shrieking creatures, straining unconsciously against his chains.

"I thought he stripped you of your powers," Thor murmured.

"The people always said I would be your foil as my father was Odin-King's…"

I broke my chains and then reached over to free Thor, my betrothed cupping my face in my hands. "You have no idea how grateful I am to have you Halea," he said, kissing me before I turned to the glass which my valkyries promptly broke through. Agents began to scream orders back and forth as the compound devolved into chaos, the valkyries shrieking at an inhuman level. "They won't be able to destroy them, not with their weapons! Come Thor, let the valkyries take care of them," I said, pulling him along. He seemed to notice something on a desk as we passed and took it, looking at me. "It is Jane's notebook."

I gave him a knowing look and sighed, leading him away from the barricade and into the dark.

* * *

><p>I came to in Thor's arms, my head on his shoulder as he walked. "Thor," I murmured, struggling to get to my feet.<p>

"It is alright Halea. We are almost to Jane's."

True to his words, he knocked on the door and we waited until Jane appeared, looking at us in shock. "Thor! Is she alright," she asked, looking at me in his arms. "Yes, she is fine. We escaped from SHIELD- may we stay here with you?"

"Yes of course, come in."

Thor carried me into Jane's home and directly to the bathroom, helping me undress. Jane brought me a towel and a change of clothes, Thor thanking her as he cleaned me up. "You are exhausted Halea. I should get you to bed," he murmured, pressing his lips to my forehead as he toweled me off. I shook my head and pulled my shirt over my head, "I do not think I could sleep after this night."

When Thor was done showering, we went up on the roof where Jane was, sharing a seat as he gave her the small notebook. "I believe this belongs to you," he said, Jane gasping in shock.

"I don't believe it. Oh, thank you so much!"

"It was all I could get back, but you have been very kind to us Jane and I, for one, have been far less grateful than you deserve," Thor smiled, holding me against his side as I pulled my legs up to my chest. I watched as Jane began to flip through her notebook, her face becoming severe. "SHIELD, whoever they are, will never let my research into the Einsten-Rosen bridge see the light of day."

Thor shook his head and reached out to take the notebook, holding it up to Jane, "You must do this, Jane- you must finish what you have started because you are right. It has taken so many generations for your people to get to this point and you are nearly there. You just need someone to show you how close you really are." Jane moved closer as Thor turned to the page bearing a sketch of what was the Bifrost, my betrothed taking the pen from behind her ear and drawing quietly. "What this is, your ancestors called magic- you call it science. And we come from a place where it is one and the same," I murmured as Thor continued to draw.

"My father explained this to me as a child," Thor said, using the pen to point out things to Jane. "Your world is one of the ten realms of the Cosmos, linked to each other by the nine branches of Yggdrasil- the Worlds Tree- and its roots where the underworld lies…

"Now you see this every day without realizing it, images glimpsed through that strange device over there…"


	17. Midgard

Waking up in the middle of the night, I looked at Thor, sighing softly as he stroked my shoulder absentmindedly.

"Did I wake you," he asked quietly, looking up at me.

"Yes," I murmured. "I had a dream that you were in pain- I knew you needed me."

Thor leaned in to kiss me and I sighed, rolling over on my side so that I could face him fully. "I had it all backwards Halea- I had it all wrong," Thor said, swallowing as he struggled not to cry. I reached out and stroked his hair lovingly, Thor closing his eyes. "It is not a bad thing to find out that you don't know where you stand in the universe, sweet. That's when you start to find your way," I replied, looking at the moonlight streaming into the room through the blinds.

"For the first time in my life, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do."

I sighed and held my arms out to him, "Come here Thor- let me hold you…"

His arms tightened around me tenderly, Thor nestling his face in my hair. I allowed my hand to snake up his back and settle in his mane of golden hair, pressing against him fully. "Halea," Thor whispered, pulling back so that his eyes met mine, passion and need and fire burning in their depths. I shivered once as he turned me onto my back, hovering above me as he came out of his night clothes. With some effort, I made to tug my shirt over my head, Thor holding it over my eyes before I could pull it off completely.

I gasped hungrily as we kissed, my entire body arching upwards. Thor held me down, vulnerable and defenseless in his hands, making me struggle as I searched for his lips. I felt his fingers brush my hip before venturing lower, his long fingers gentle against my sensitive flesh.

"Release me Thor," I panted, glad when he did.

His hand sank down into the pillow behind my head as I pulled the shirt off finally, reaching up and wrapping my arms around his neck. Thor grunted as I moved against him furiously before pinning me down to the bed with his body to keep me still. I arched upwards as he entered me, a sharp exhale my only other response. My lips trembled as he moved within me, frissons of lust radiating throughout my entire being. Thor was murmuring my name as I dug my nails into his back, my other hand curling in his hair. The little sounds I made were accompanied by his pants and grunts, the headboard beginning to hit the wall as Thor's hips snapped forward faster and faster.

The sheets underneath me soon became wet with the sweat that was rolling off our bodies, my core pulsing and shaking within me as I was driven to the brink of control. With one look at Thor's tense expression, I buried my face in his arm, knowing that we were both close. "Argh," Thor roared shamelessly, pulling me up off of the bed in a manner that forced me to lock my legs around his waist to keep him close. I felt his stomach tighten against my own over and over, Thor pushing deeper and deeper until I felt as if he would obliterate me.

I called out Thor's name as I felt myself be pulled into a place that was like the rivers underneath the Bifrost, angry and raging.

All of my muscles tightened and locked in response, Thor acknowledging the tightness with a throaty growl. And then he was tensing as well, his entire body taut against my own as he took me to the mattress. I gasped for air in between quiet sobs, my fingers still tangled in Thor's hair.

His breath was hot against my throat as he tried to catch his breath, our bodies sticky and hot.

"We can make it Thor," I whispered, my words hanging in the air for a moment.

"To Asgard?"

I swallowed tearfully and closed my eyes, "No, here in this realm. As long as I have you, wherever you are is home. I could stay here in Midgard for the rest of my life, share my life with you…"

Humming contentedly, I held Thor's body to my own, feeling my stomach tingle underneath his elbow. I placed my hand there to soothe it and sighed, kissing the top of Thor's head before I drifted peacefully into a much needed slumber.

* * *

><p>I woke up before Thor did, sliding out of the bed and crossing the room to where Jane had stocked the closet. I changed into a one of the shirts that was for Thor and a pair of the short pants that Darcy was fond of, pulling my hair back with a band to keep it out of my face.<p>

Hearing my stomach rumble, I decided to leave Thor sleeping and get food. "I will not stray far, prince," I murmured, kissing his forehead.

I went downstairs where Jane was and smiled, "Good morning, friend. Would you like help making breakfast?"

"Yes actually," Jane said, helping me get the basics of Earth cooking down. She looked at me as I mastered how to break an egg, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "You know, I got this feeling when we first met that you didn't like me much, Halea."

"They say that a woman's intuition is her best weapon," I replied honestly. "I did not like you, but you have sheltered us and for that, I am indebted to you. Besides, as one of Thor's friends, I would rather have you than Sif any day." Jane and I began to plate the meal, Thor making his appearance late in the morning. "Exhausted, Thor?"

He gave me a knowing grin and sat down, Darcy bounding into the room.

"So, I was wondering," she said, eating a piece of bacon. "What you and Thor are going to do after you get back to Asgard?"

I looked at Thor and half-smiled, "Yesterday, we realized that Midgard is our home now. We are going to stay and hopefully go about our lives as we had planned." My betrothed nodded in agreement, smiling when I took his extended hand. "We will probably look for a home of our own, get married and with Frigga willing, have many sons- and a daughter as beautiful as her mother," Thor smiled, his words bringing a blush to my cheeks.

"So I believe that I need a few lessons in Midgard customs."

"Definitely," Jane agreed.


	18. Being Human

"So these gardens are open to everyone," I questioned, hesitant to touch the flowers.

Jane smiled and plucked a rose from the stem, "Well, we call them parks here on Earth and yes, everyone can come here."

"Thor, this is amazing, isn't it?"

"You are easy to excite," he replied, looking at me mischievously when I glared at him. "But I agree."

Jane, Darcy and Erik proceeded to lay out a checkered blanket on the ground in the shade of a tree, unpacking food from a woven basket. "In Midgardian custom, on nice days we come outside and have picnics," Darcy said, Thor and I sitting down for the meal.

He offered me a sandwich and I turned my nose up, "I am not hungry."

Everyone looked at me quizzically and I instantly became self-conscious, Thor shrugging as he began to eat my sandwich.

I leaned against him, enjoying the breeze and Thor's presence.

"Midgard is such a strange realm," he murmured as we laid down and stared up at the sky. "What makes our world such much different from yours," Erik asked from somewhere to my left. Thor and I both laughed, reflecting fondly on our home world. We had all relaxed, stretching out to watch the clouds above. "Well, our suns turn the sky is a thousand shades of gold and red in the daytime- much like your sunset, but brighter, more brilliant; at night, it is purple and blue, sparkling with the small planets and constellations far off in the distance," I started, my mind millions of light years away.

* * *

><p>"I think I am- what does Erik call understanding," I heard Thor ask from the kitchen, getting off of the couch and going to see what he was talking about.<p>

We were in our new dwelling- our permanent home on Midgard- a place called an apartment. We lived not too far from Jane and Darcy, assisting the scientists in their search of the universe. Erik as well had moved out of Jane's home after the first couple of weeks and was staying in a mobile home near our communal host.

"I believe he referred to discernment as 'getting the hang of it', yes," I suggested, Thor nodding and smiling as he held out a frying pan to me. "Yes, that was it. I think I am getting the hang of Earth cooking- it does not yield nearly enough as on Asgard, but this is something I can do." I smiled and danced across the floor to kiss him, Thor setting the pan down on the stove before lifting me into his arms. He placed me on the counter, immediately beginning to kiss my neck. "You have become insatiable in these last few weeks on this world," I said, reaching down and pulling his shirt above his head. "Halea, have you not noticed how many places Midgard offers in- and on- which to make love? We have been in Jane's shower, her guest bed- in our bed and on the floor and in the shower and on our counters and the couch," Thor replied, grinning between kissing my throat and jaw.

"I wish to go to the couch now."

I giggled as Thor carried me over to the plush, almost threadbare couch and threw me down upon it, finding his place between my legs. He pressed his body against mine, one of his hands wrapping around my thigh before I groaned, "I need to get out of these pants." Thor kissed me once more before moving down my body, pressing hot kisses to my stomach while undoing the tie at my waist. I pulled my shirt up even as I wiggled out of my trousers, Thor pressing his lips to my inner thighs. "I dislike these undergarments, no matter how delicate they are," Thor muttered, pulling back suddenly and grabbing the lace and satin between his fists. I shrieked as he ripped the dainty undergarments from me, his eyes rolling back slightly as my scent filled the air.

"Sweet," Thor said hungrily before kissing me, fisting his hand in my hair. "Heavenly."

I reached down and freed him from his jeans, Thor kicking off his own underwear impatiently. He balanced himself by holding onto the back of the couch with one hand, gripping my waist with the other to keep his weight off of me. We looked at each other seriously before Thor pulled me to him, the hard thrust forcing my entire body off of the couch cushions. "Shh," Thor said soothingly as I cried out, kissing me once more.

His powerful hips flexed and tightened against my own, his movements demanding and almost maddening. We both grunted as he buried himself completely within me, my hand raising up to hold myself against Thor. "Oh, the gods above," I cried out, dragging my nails down his back before digging my teeth into his flesh.

"Halea!"

"Ah," I giggled even as my insides caught fire, my thighs shaking uncontrollably. Thor reached down and held my legs wide, breathing heavily as he spilled his seed within me. I continued to laugh irrationally, Thor looking up at me before dropping down onto my body. "Do I amuse you, sweet," he questioned faintly, humming as I ran my fingers back through his sweat-damp hair. "I did not mean to laugh, but in making love, you somehow tickled me."

Thor groaned and chuckled as well, moving his hands up my side. "Turn on the television…"

I reached behind my head and grabbed the device that controlled the mechanical box before us, Thor and I watching attentively.

"I think the best thing about Midgard is their television," I murmured after awhile, stroking Thor's hair and shoulders intermittently. He nodded in agreement without raising his head off of my chest, both of us in awe of the images moving on the screen.

I had gotten used to Thor's calm, humble demeanor quickly, embracing the new man that I was in love with. I had loved him when he was a pompous ass, yes, but I knew now that our banishment was probably the best thing to ever happen to him. "I miss my father. And my mother," Thor spoke suddenly, still staring at the television. "I miss all of my friends and the mountains and the river… I miss Mjolnir."

"I know Thor. I miss them too," I replied, sighing quietly.


	19. Nightmares and Falling Stars

Thor and I stood on Jane's rooftop as we stared up into the sky, waiting, watching for something unknown. "It is chilly, Thor," I said just as I shivered, his arms coming around me in a vice. He kissed my hair lovingly and chuckled, sighing contentedly. "Jane said to be patient, my little one. Apparently, something very special is going to happen tonight in the cosmos…"

I was quiet at his words, my eyes flickering across the horizon before me.

"See, I hate how thorough you can be," Thor murmured. "Now I want to know what you are thinking."

"Make up your mind, Odin-son: would you like me to watch, or would you like me to talk," I asked smartly, giggling when I received a teasing bite to my bared shoulder. I then sighed and turned my attention to the small points of light in the sky, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Well, I am thinking about the stars and their beauty. From down here, they seem so far away even though I know they are not… I wish I could be up there where nothing bad could ever touch me- just sort of rise up and just be among the constellations. I would not have to feel anything there, not loss or pain, or homesickness."

Thor tightened his arms around me, his chin resting on the top of my head, "Do you truly believe that Halea? That it would be worth it to lose the good things just to lose the bad? To go up and just be up there for the rest of time?"

"Thor, we were there once," I replied, inhaling deeply. "But still, I would never do anything that would separate me from you, even though I wonder…"

We stared up at the sky for some time and I reached up to entwine my fingers with his, "I do not know. I just know that I love you."

"And I love you as well," Thor replied.

"Oh!"

I grabbed at his arm as a streak of light raced across the sky, turning around to see Thor grin. "See? That is what patience will get you- Jane called it a meteor shower where pieces of dead planets burn through earth's atmosphere; it is beautiful," he explained, turning me around so we could continue to watch the burning lights. They filled the sky and as I looked down, I could see people coming out into the street to watch, in awe of the happening.

"Halea, I want us to marry. I want to be able to call you my wife and to place my claim on you so that no one may ever take you from me," Thor murmured, swaying gently as he held me."Do you fear that," I questioned, looking over my shoulder at him. "Someone taking me away?"

He smiled wryly and leaned forward, brushing his lips against mine, "Foolish, I know, but worry I must." I nodded as I reached up to cup his cheek, sighing softly. "And something makes me fear that you are right to worry Thor. Yes, we shall marry," I agreed, smiling when I was spun in the air. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my betrothed rested his hand on my backside, pressing my body against his. "Are you still cold Halea?"

"I believe that I may be getting a little warmer, but I would still like to be elsewhere," I said, Thor sweeping me off of my feet and heading back towards the ladder into Jane's home.

"My thoughts exactly."

* * *

><p>"No," I murmured in my sleep. "Mine… Thor… No!"<p>

I jolted out of my sleep screaming, massive hands locking around my upper arms even as I struggled to fight. "Halea," Thor said, holding me down in our bed and shaking me. I looked up at him, truly seeing him for the first time as I choked back a sob. My lips trembled as I touched his face, sucking in ragged breaths without trying getting any oxygen. "Halea, what is wrong? Tell me what has frightened you so!"

"You are okay my love," I said, burning tears running from my eyes into my hair as I let the building sobs free.

"Sweet, it was just a dream-"

With a wail, I wrapped myself around Thor, my hysterics building the more I looked at his face. "I cannot lose you, Thor; I could not bear it," I mumbled rather incoherently into his hair. He simply held me until my sobs had slowed and my breath had calmed, reassuring me repeatedly, "I will never let you go Halea; no matter what."

"There is something wrong in Asgard, Thor, and if we do not stand up to the enemy there, we will fall- you will fall. And losing you, oh, losing you…"

Thor pulled back and I ran my fingers through his hair, his blue eyes searching mine. "Loki is on the throne- my brother would not let anything happen to Asgard," he murmured, stroking my furrowed brow. Even as he tried to soothe me, I could not relax, anxiety filling me quickly. I just kept my hand pressed to his heart as Thor stroked me here and there, attempting futilely to release some of the tension in my body.

After awhile, I got to the point where I could close my eyes, Thor singing to me.

"Do you know how many stars are there in the dark sky of the night? Do you know how many clouds so fair fly over Midgard's height? We Gods do know their number- none is missing, we may slumber. Do you know how many stars are there in the dark sky of the night?"

When his music faltered and faded all together, I knew he was asleep and instead took him into my arms, holding him firmly against my body.

"Heimdall, I know you can hear me," I hissed, glaring up at the ceiling. "I do not want to come back to Asgard, but I must know now the state of the crown. Loki is up to no good and you need to help us fix what is wrong- send me a sign.

"Or Thor will perish. And I, with him."


	20. A New Life

He laid on his stomach, his face turned towards me even as his eyes were closed. I watched carefully at the subtle rise and fall of his back, his breathing deep and even. Thor's hair was mussed, tossed here and there across the pillows, his hands splayed out on either side of his head. His body was twisted just slightly, one of his legs hitched up and the other stretched out towards the footboard. Thor was only covered in a sheet around his hips, the delectable curve of his backside only hinted at through the fabric twisted around him.

"Mmmhm," Thor groaned as he stirred, stretching out in the bed. "Halea…"

"Good morning."

I watched as he instinctively reached out to where I usually slept, making me smile even with how exhausted I was. "I am right here- do not move anymore," I requested, Thor doing just the opposite and looking at me.

I sat in a chair beside the bed, dressed in one of his tee shirts with my sketch pad in my lap. "You were really inspiring until you moved. Your face was peaceful and child-like with a certain strength that was overwhelmingly beautiful," I said quietly, adding the finishing touches to my drawing before jumping onto the bed beside Thor. I showed him my notebook, my betrothed appraising it silently before giving me his opinion, "You are truly getting good at these. The first pictures of me looked horrendous-"

"Thor Odin-son!"

He pulled me down into his arms and I half-smiled, pressing my lips to his. "Does drawing me really calm your thoughts or is it some strange necessity you have to see me disrobed," Thor asked rather teasingly, stroking my collarbone. "Hmm, I believe it might be a little bit of both- it calms me to look at you, takes my mind off of other things… but I do enjoy looking at you naked, especially after I have tired you out with lovemaking; I like how you look so… ravished? It seems like I cannot help myself," I admitted, Thor grinning almost triumphantly.

"Well, if it is any consolation, I watch you while you sleep."

"Really now?"

Thor smiled and rolled over onto his back, wrapping his arm around my shoulders when I snuggled into his side. "You are beautiful- as always- but when you sleep, it is something else entirely. It is when I can look at you best, stare at your collarbones… and your strong arms… and that beautiful curve of your breast… and that faint outline of your ribs. I think my favorite part of you, however, is your stomach. It is taut and muscular, but still soft and beautiful, long and lean- oh, and I love your bottom as well-"

"Thor, do not talk about my backside," I said, turning towards him.

He only laughed and tucked his hair behind his ear, "Do not complain."

I yawned and laced my fingers through Thor's seeing him eye me warily. "You have not slept Halea- I wish I knew the true cause of your discontent," he murmured, raising my hand to his lips and kissing it softly. I smiled and snuggled down into the softness of our bed linens, Thor humming to me quietly.

"You know, I am not going back to sleep," I said shakily. "Not after last night…"

He sighed and kissed my forehead, getting out of the bed slowly. "You must stay here- I will get you coffee and pastries," Thor said, smiling as he left the room. He returned shortly with a plate and two mugs, sitting at my feet. We ate in silence, but as soon as I took a sip of my coffee, I gagged, Thor taking the cup from me.

"Halea?"

"I am fine- but suddenly coffee has gotten revolting," I retorted, disgusted by the drink I had become so fond of. Thor took the mug away into the kitchen and I decided to get out of bed as well, stretching out my sore and tired body. As soon as I hit the doorway Thor looked up from the sink, narrowing his eyes. "Come here," he demanded in his lovely bass, making my eyebrow arch as I did as he asked.

Thor immediately took a lock of my hair in his fingers and inhaled deeply before pulling away, seeming unsatisfied with his search. "Your scent seems stronger, more… sweet, more potent?"

"You are imagining things Thor," I scolded, sniffing myself once before going to take a shower.

Thor soon followed me, leaning against the sink with his toothbrush in his mouth and his arms folded across his chest. "It is only getting stronger and stronger- I am not imagining anything. It is actually very enjoyable… and arousing," Thor said, smiling when I looked out of the shower at him. "We are a civil, advanced people- we cannot spend the rest of our lives in bed."

"Maybe not the rest of our lives, but a good part of it. I feel as if that is acceptable."

I laughed and wrung my hair out, stepping out of the shower.

Thor was just about to grab me before we both turned to the sound of a knock on the door, a dark look coming across his face. "I have to go greet whoever has just interrupted the ravaging of my wife," he muttered, going into the bedroom briefly before going to the door.

I heard the sound of talking and laughter as I got ready, looking at myself in the mirror curiously.

"Hmm…"

I looked at my reflection from several different angles, raising an eyebrow as I eyed the subtle, barely noticeable- and I would not have noticed if not for the fact that it was my own body. I tentatively stroked my changed figure, unsure of what to think as I pressed my fingers to the firmness there.

"Halea?"

"Coming," I replied quickly, pulling on my clothes and trying to calm the fevered look in my eyes as I checked in the mirror on more time. I went out into the kitchen and smiled at Jane, a strange expression crossing her face. "Took you long enough- come on; I'm starving and Erik's waiting in the car," Darcy said, Thor pulling on a jacket over his tee shirt.


	21. Need

Thor smiled as we walked back to our apartment from the restaurant, my hand on his arm and his hand on mine. I had my free hand pressed to my stomach- where it had been throughout the entire night, thoroughly distracted even as he spoke.

"Halea," Thor said, pulling me out of my musings. "Are you alright, sweet? You have been quiet."

I half-smiled and nodded, looking up at him, "I am alright- I just have a lot on my mind." He sighed heavily, stroking my cheek before moving to wrap his arm around my shoulder. "I should have had Erik talk to you- he is the only one you actually respect, you stubborn child. I do not understand how you can refuse to sleep and they have all noticed it. Erik explained that here in Midgard, it takes more energy for our bodies to function in the manner that we are used to. You need your rest sweet," Thor said, bending down to press his temple to mine.

Running my fingers back through my hair, I sighed, shaking my head at the concern in his eyes.

"No, Thor! I cannot sleep when I know that there is something wrong," I admitted almost angrily, refusing to look at my betrothed. "It is not just Midgard or Asgard- it is the entire universe! I know it in my heart that whatever going on in our realm is affecting me here. We are needed in Asgard. We need to go home!"

"Halea, we cannot go home…"

I inhaled deeply before looking up at the sky tearfully, biting my bottom lip. "I need to go to Asgard," I replied, trying to calm my panic. I ran ahead of Thor into our home, my hands ripping at my hair as I yelled at the top of my lungs. "What is going on Heimdall? You know that the kingdom is threatened and still, you imprison us here in this damned land-"

"Halea, what is the matter with you," Thor asked, gripping the top of my arms almost painfully. I shook him off and he glared at me, "Stop this madness my love. Now!"

"Leave me alone Thor," I replied, the overwhelming fear of finding myself truly trapped welling up inside of me. If I had thought that I was upset, it was nothing compared to Thor's reaction, unable to respond appropriately when he turned over our table and threw the vase at the wall. "You think that I do not suffer as you do, that I do not long for home as well? You heard Loki- we are not welcome in Asgard! We have no home in Asgard, for this world is ours now," Thor roared, taking me in his hands and shaking me.

I looked up at him, my tears streaming down my face, "I do not want to be here Thor. Living amongst these… mortals- you know as well as I do that many of them have no regard for the law and there is no all consuming justice here! This is no land in which we belong!"

"But we do Halea- we belong here!"

"You would raise our child here," I questioned, Thor blinking repeatedly as he released me.

I pressed my fingers to my lips as we looked at each other, trembling underneath his heavy gaze. "When was the last time our sheets were stained with blood? It was in Asgard, over a month ago now. I am with child- your child, the heir to the throne. And now we are here-"

Thor came to wrap his arms around me as I began to sob, his hand tangling in my hair.

"I do not know what to do now. I have no guidance, no mother to help me through this… I want to go home, to Frigga and have her hold us," I wept, wishing only to hide in Thor's embrace. "And we are not even married…"

"Halea," he moaned once, his pain and fear tangible as my own was.

I tried to hold him even as he fell to his knees, Thor holding me around my midsection. I only entwined my fingers in his locks, my betrothed pressing his face into my stomach as I continued to cry. I did not know if Thor wept or not, but I comforted him the best I could as he shook, my other hand resting on his shoulder.

* * *

><p>I started with a gasp, my hand pressing to my stomach almost as if to make sure my unborn child was still safe in my womb. Panting and gasping, I turned to Thor's side of the bed, finding it cold and empty. I searched the darkness of my room with straining eyes, my sight falling on the dark figure standing at the window, illuminated only briefly by a bolt of lighting.<p>

He was silent, brooding, staring out at the night.

The sound of rain was soft against the windows, Thor's hand moving to press against the glass. Without a word, I moved to join him, his body moving unconsciously towards my own as my naked body brushed against his. As I looked at him, his face was calm, his lips parted just the smallest bit as his hair fell forward into his eyes. "You are right- we are needed in Asgard. And Asgard is needed more now than ever before," he said almost emotionlessly, Thor moving to touch my stomach tentatively. I pressed my hand over his and bit down on my bottom lip, knowing that even as strong as he was, if anything happened to our child, it would tear him apart. "I need you to be safe, well- and I need him to live. I have already lost Asgard, my father; I cannot bear to lose anything else."

"You will not lose me," I said, smiling tearfully as he bent down to press his forehead against mine.

His eyes searched mine before closing, his hand cupping my cheek lovingly as thunder shook the window panes. "No, I will not."


	22. Confirmation of Souls

"I worry over her," Thor said as I tucked myself underneath his arm, Erik nodding. "It is perfectly logical, Thor- you're a man. This is your first child and she is your… wife; its your job to worry," the older-seeming gentleman replied, smiling at me.

We sat in a place called the free clinic, Jane and Darcy trying to get me seen by a doctor.

"Speaking of being your wife, we must get married Thor- soon. We have already waited much too long sweet; I thought we had time- all the time in the world- but now that I am with child, I need to be married," I murmured quickly, Thor nodding in agreement. "I need to be with you."

"I will talk to Jane and see what we can do," Erik offered, pleased when I smiled gratefully.

Soon they returned, Thor helping me to my feet as Jane looked at me nervously, "So I told them that you were visiting from Sweden and that you don't know much English. That means that you cannot talk much, but I'll communicate between you and the doctor. Thor, you can talk more than she can, just keep it to the bare minimum."

"Okay Jane."

I was escorted into a room and made to undress, Thor standing in the hallway. "Hello Ms. Foster. I understand that you are here today because you think you might be pregnant," the doctor said, walking into the room. I nodded in agreement, looking to Jane for support. She gripped my hand through the examination, the male touching and probing me in a technical, methodical manner.

"I would just like to do an ultrasound to confirm…"

"It's a picture of your insides, Halea. Perfectly safe for the baby," she assured me, the doctor pushing my gown up slightly before covering my lower half in a paper-like sheet. I looked towards the door and she moved before I could even ask, Thor walking into the room. He immediately came to my side, smiling at me briefly and kissing my forehead. Thor then talked to Jane, concern evident in his eyes, "Is she okay?"Jane nodded and Thor pressed his lips to my hand, the doctor pulling out a small tube. He squirted a semi-solid type of liquid onto my stomach, the sensation startling me. I giggled, Thor's eyes flashing up to my own, "Cold."

We both looked down at the tiny machine being rolled across the surface of my stomach, a strange sound filling the room. "Very healthy heartbeat," the male commented, Thor grinning when I looked up at him in shock. "And here, we have what looks like… two fetuses aged seven weeks?"

"Two," Jane asked, Thor and I both looking at her.

"Yes ma'am. Your friend here is the proud mother of twins."

* * *

><p>"So what are the wedding customs in Asgard," Darcy asked, sitting on the floor against the wall with a small notebook in her lap.<p>

I laughed as I had a fleeting thought of Frigga- and all the meticulous planning we had done- Thor looking at me wryly. "There are many customs and standards to be upheld, especially when you marry the prince… but we are in Asgard no longer. I wish to marry in love; it is all I require," I answered, Jane snorting in reply.

As we talked, Thor had his hand on my stomach, fulfilling the need to hold his children even now.

"I wish my father could be here," he spoke quietly, everyone turning to the sound of his voice. "He told me once it was not pride that made a father, but love. And I am proud- proud that our bodies made these two strong Asgardians within your womb, proud that they were strong enough to will their hearts into beating- but my love goes much beyond that. I do not know them, and even now, I love them."

"You are a father, Thor Odin-son."

Blue eyes looked up into mine as a small smile crossed his face, Thor nodding once, "Yes I am."

Late into the night Jane finally had to half-drag Darcy out of the apartment, Thor smiling as I repeatedly nodded off against his shoulder. "Come on Halea- I will help you get a shower," he said, lifting me off of the couch. I yawned and shook my head, Thor sighing as he took me into the bedroom. I smiled and crawled underneath the covers, pulling Thor after me. "I care much for our friends," he murmured, inching my shirt up above my waist. "But I have been waiting all day to have you three all to myself…"

Thor and I both looked down at my stomach, the soft swelling definitely more defined than it had been the first time I had looked at it. Thor rested his head on my shoulder before placing his hand on my stomach, my fingers playing lazily in his hair. "The mere thought of being responsible for two new lives is daunting- terrifying. Yet, I am ready for you, for both of you. I swear upon my life and every fiber of my being that I will love you," Thor murmured, his large hand engulfing all of my stomach. "I will protect you…" Thor continued to speak to my stomach, moving so his ear was pressed my womb. Before long, we were both drifting between awareness and sleep, my lover's eyes fluttering open every now and then to watch me intently- the same as I did with him. As he spoke, his sentences were soft and mumbled, Thor promising his unborn children the universe and the world over. He admitted to them his fears and worries, told them of his happiness with me- and of his love, the love of the family he lost and of the family we had created together.

I was startled completely awake when Thor sat up suddenly, his eyes staring into mine.

"Why did we do this," he asked in a hushed whisper. "Why are we bringing children into this world knowing how dangerous it is? There are threats all around, any number of circumstances in which they could be harmed-"

"Thor, be quiet and listen to me. We are bringing children into the world because even though they will get hurt some time or another- and even though it scares us both to death- we love our children. And you have already promised them that you will protect them so I know it is true and I trust your word Odin-son.

"You will not fail them."


	23. Their Future

"My sweet. How I love you so."

I grinned widely and reached up to kiss Thor's cheek as we walked around the park, my short sundress that was a gift from Darcy ruffling about my knees in the light breeze. It hid my growing stomach from the eyes of others, as if it were a secret that my beloved and I shared. "Oh, the sunshine feels more amazing on my skin than I have ever felt," I hummed, pulling my braided hair over my shoulder. Thor smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, bumping his forehead against mine.

"I can tell you are enjoying it," he replied before kissing me. "You look… indescribable."

Thor touched my stomach tenderly and we stopped underneath the shade of a tree, both of us looking at our entwining fingers as I grasped his hands in mine. "You have no idea how relieved I am that I am carrying our children, no idea how happy I am that you are their father. You are going to be absolutely wonderful with them," I murmured before turning to my stomach, smiling softly. "I knew- no matter how I tried to deny- that I was meant to exist for your father alone, and your presence proves that. You are going to complete us."

He looked up at me and smiled, "So you really are pleased about this…"

"My, Odin-son, are you saying that you doubted my exaltation over the miracle that is my being with child? I love you with everything in my heart Thor and I am relieved that we are going to be safe and happy and most importantly, together," I retorted honestly, cupping his face in my hand. I scratched his beard playfully before kissing him repeatedly, moving my hands to grip him on the sides. "And you are a good, worthy man and you deserve a dutiful woman like me- after all, I have always wanted a man like you… I always wanted you and now that I have you, I could not be more blissful."

"Mmhmm, you speak words so incredibly sweet," Thor groaned as we kissed briefly but passionately, my hands holding onto his forearms.

I pulled away after a long moment, shaking my head, "We are supposed to be enjoying our walk, not kissing each other into a frenzy. Besides we are in public and you tend to do very inappropriate things when you get your hands on me."

Thor groaned in mock defeat, both of us knowing full and well that as soon as we got home, I was his.

Somewhere in the midst of walking we came across a group of children, laughing and screaming at the top of their lungs as they played. I felt a smile come across my face as I looked towards the sky, towards the home world we had been banished from. Already, I could see us there, Thor upon the throne with our child in his arms, in my arms clutched another tiny baby- it was the natural path our lives would have taken, but then I knew that it was not the same. There, in Asgard, I would have felt entitled- entitled to Thor, to being queen, to having our children- yet here, in a world in which I had not belonged, I was grateful, wholly and entirely thankful.

I moved to stand behind Thor, wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing my face to his back.

As I inhaled his scent, sweet but completely and undoubtedly male, Thor chuckled quietly, turning to look at me over his shoulder, "You cannot possibly watch the children with your face buried in my shoulder blades."

"You know very well that I do not even reach your shoulder blades; I am in the middle of your back."

"Yes, you are then," he replied quietly, patting my hands before sighing.

We were quiet for a moment longer before I looked up at the back of his head, letting out a heavy breath. "I wonder who they will be, what they look like… If they will have my dimples and cheekbones, or your strong jaw and mouth. Straight black hair, or curly blonde ringlets; tall or short? Maybe they will be clever, valiant, selfless-"

"Perfect," Thor replied quietly, pulling me underneath his arm and squeezing me gently.

"I cannot wait to touch them," I murmured longingly as Thor kissed my forehead.

He looked away from me and smiled, his attention back on the children playing before us, "I cannot wait to hear them laugh. I hope they have your lovely, unladylike chortle, all high and light but still with certain kind of depth that makes the people raise their eyebrows in horror."

I laughed despite how angry I wanted to be for him poking fun and Thor joined in with me, nodding.

"Yes, I hope they laugh just like that…"

"No matter their chortle- as you so elegantly put it- or what they look like," I said wistfully, my betrothed looking down at me and placing his hand to my hair. "I know who they will be- a part of you and a part of me. Hopefully only the best parts… But still astounding, endlessly resilient, and impossibly strong. They will be gods and I have a sense of peace in the knowledge that we as a family will be strong, resilient, tough. I wish they could have had the childhoods that we had running through the golden wheat and riding horses and climbing the massive branches of Idunn for the apples right at the top, but what we can give them here is a better childhood. Lots of love and attention, everything a child needs-"

Thor looked down at me once more and pressed his face to the crown of my head, "Well, it looks as if the mighty goddess Halea is finding herself exhausted… Should I take her home?"

"I believe you should. The mighty goddess Halea has found herself in desperate need of attention…"


	24. Bride

After a few weeks of getting everything together, I woke up alone, sitting up and inhaling deeply. It was the day in which I would give my hand to Thor, becoming his wife after so many years together- the day I had been waiting my entire life for.

With Jane keeping track of my pregnancy, I knew that I was now thirteen weeks pregnant, my form changing rapidly to accommodate my growing children. My spine was slowly shifting to bear the weight of my body and my breasts swelling wonderfully to Thor's pleasure. "Halea, Jane is here," my husband-to-be called from the kitchen, undoubtedly preparing me something to eat. Thor, to my surprise and delight, had become the most attentive father I had ever met, noting every change sometimes even before I did.

When I had dressed, I found Jane and Darcy rearranging the living room, Thor grinning at me.

"Good morning," he said, bending down to kiss me. "And stay calm, for the sake of our children, please."

"Thor, Erik is downstairs in his truck. You have to leave now," Jane said, coming towards us with what seemed like strange devices to curl her hair. Thor bent down and kissed my forehead, cupping my cheeks in his hands. "I made you eggs, a little undercooked- just how you like them."

He then touched my stomach, sighing, "Take care of them for me."

"Always."

As soon as Thor was gone, Darcy forced me down into a chair, putting some of Jane's strange devices in my hair. I closed my eyes as she put something called 'makeup' on me, asking many questions. It took several hours to get ready before I was allowed to get into my dress, Jane's careful eyes meticulous over every detail. My dress, simple and white with a silver belt around my waist was one-shouldered, exposing a collarbone that Thor loved so. "Here on Earth, we have certain custom that ensures the bride luck. You have to have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. I got you a bouquet of tulips-"

"Jane, you must stop. You have done so much for Thor and I, for our children… I am afraid that we will be indebted to you for the rest of our lives," I whispered, Jane looking at me honestly.

"Halea, you are my friend and a treasured one at that. I spent my entire life searching- and I found you and Thor. In my heart, I know that I have to do everything I can for the both of you," she replied, grasping my hand. "And plus, everyone in town knows the crazy amnesiacs from Sweden- we threw you a wedding."

* * *

><p>I covered my mouth with my hands as the horse and carriage that my friends had arranged for pulled up to the place that I would be married just out side of town. The guests- whom I expected was the entire town- stood from their eclectic mismatch of chairs and tables, turning to witness my arrival from underneath the massive tent.<p>

Erik was there to help us out of the carriage, Darcy and Jane walking ahead of us as he took my hand. "Your man has been a pain in my ass all day," he murmured, smiling when I tried to hide a giggle. My curls blew in the wind, my dress flowing beautifully behind me. I held onto Erik's arm before tucking my hair behind my ear, looking towards the place where I knew Thor stood.

He was beautiful.

Thor's hair was neatly combed and he wore an outfit similar to Erik's minus a jacket, a blue flower pinned to his chest.

I felt myself stand just a little straighter once I met his blue eyes, the rest of the world seeming to fade away. I smiled as I reached him, Erik placing my hand in his before moving to stand on a small raised platform before us.

"You are radiant," Thor said, pressing his lips to my cheek lightly.

"Today we have come to witness in marriage, Thor and Halea, in front of their friends and the town that has adopted them…"

I was so busy staring at Thor that I almost missed my cue to pledge myself to him, but caught myself just in time, "Thor, I was given life so many years ago, but it feels that I have only truly started to live in the last few months with you. With you, I have found reason and love and family, all the things I need to make it in this strange new world. I know that no matter what may be our future that I can endure and overcome any obstacle with you at my side. Today, Thor Odin-son, I offer myself to you and ask your permission stand behind you this day and every day after… I, Halea, pledge my heart and entire being to you."

Jane handed me Thor's band, watching tearfully as took his hand and slid the ring onto his finger. "I tie myself to you with this symbol of eternal love," I said, kissing his hand.

"I told you once that I would prove to you that I loved you and today, I plan on keeping that promise. It has been a troublesome journey for us- I have done things and said things that I have regretted- and still you have stayed with me. I have done nothing in my life to deserve you and although I am unworthy, I thank the god who sent you to me. You have been my companion, my friend, my compass and without you, I would be nothing- without you, I am nothing. Today, Halea, I graciously accept you and wish not for you to stand behind me, but beside me, for the rest of my life. I, Thor Odin-son, pledge my heart and entire being to you."

Already having my ring, Thor took both of my hands in his and kissed them lovingly, all of the tension in his lips relaxing at the touch of my skin.

At last, I heard Erik say the words I waited my whole life to hear, Thor smiling at me triumphantly, "I know pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Thor pulled me to him, one of his hands on my lower back and the other cupping the place where my neck and chin met. I reached up to lace my arm around his neck as he kissed me, his lips soft and loving against my own. I could not help but notice how perfectly the curve of my stomach fit into his body, Thor's hand moving after a moment to touch me gently.

And then we broke apart, hearing the sound of engines racing past us.

When I looked towards where the large cars were going, I felt my words die on my lips, turning towards the sun. "The exact opposite direction from where came… from twelve miles east."

"Asgard," Thor whispered.


	25. Out of the Bifrost

As we raced across the desert, I stared up at the sky, the tiny blister becoming a maelstrom of Bifrost and clouds. "The stars- they are of Asgard," Thor murmured, his face looking abnormally pale.

"Jane, what is this? Some sort of magnetic storm," Darcy questioned as we joined the SHIELD agents.

"No, its my Einstein-Rosen bridge," Jane said, jumping out of the car. "The Bifrost!"

As soon as Thor and I had shown our faces, guns were drawn, Agent Coulson coming over to us. "What is going on," he asked, eyeing Thor. When we did not speak, he turned to Jane, showing his badge. "You are Jane Foster, the scientist working on the Einstein-Rosen bridge. Can you tell me what this is? We got massive energy readings out of nowhere-"

"I do not believe it," I whispered, racing forward as four bodies landed on the runes.

I bent down beside Sif, cupping her cheek in my hand, taking in her bruised face and scraped knuckles. I clapped her cheek gently, Thor coming to my side, "Sif?"

"Is it me, or has Midgard changed," she asked weakly, the Warriors Three beginning to stir as well.

Thor laughed once, relieved as he stroked her hair back from her face. "It has been a thousand years since we have last visited," he said, Sif sitting up before taking to her feet shakily. Volstagg and the others did the same, his bearded face turning towards us, "Thor is right. You leave for a millennium, and it is as if the whole country has gone."

"What are you three doing here," I questioned, Hogun smiling. "And why do you look like you have been to Hel and back?"

"Because we have. You did not think we would miss your wedding day, did you," Fandral asked before immediately taking the defensive at the sight of the SHIELD agents. "Who are you and from where did you come," Agent Coulson asked, Volstagg eyeing Thor. "We are Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Surely you have heard tales of Hogun the Grim, Fandral the Dashing, and I, Volstagg the Svelte? Well… perhaps I have put on a little more muscle since I was here last."

Erik smiled wryly and shook his head, "Over a thousand years ago. In Northern Europe, to be exact."

Thor smiled almost sadly as he looked at his friends, clapping Fandral's shoulder, "My friends, I have never been happier to see anyone- especially on this day of wondrous days- but still, you should not have come."

"We have come to take you home," Hogun replied in his soft voice, his tone almost confused.

"You know that I cannot. My father is dead because of me- I must remain in exile."

I watched as Fandral, Volstagg, Sif and Hogun exchanged tortured, perplexed looks, Sif turning to her old friend. "Thor, your father lives."

His hands tightened into fists as his face became stony, my husband staring without seeing. "I need you to tell me the truth of the happenings in Asgard- from the beginning," he demanded quietly, all eyes on the newcomers.

"It first started with us trying to get the both of you back home and after many days spent debating, we decided to speak to Odin All-Father. When we went to the throne room… we saw Loki upon the throne, with Odin-King's headdress and Gungnir. When I asked him what happened, he told us that your father had fallen into the Odin-sleep," Sif explained, Thor's eyes tightening around the edges. I reached out and took one of his hands in both of mine, trying to comfort him as best I could. "After a few days, Fandral discovered that it was Loki and his obsession with the Casket of Winters that had driven the King into his sleep… And all the while, we were drawing closer and closer to war with Jotunheim. We knew what we must do, but we were just too damned afraid to do it."

"And so we committed treason- Loki after all, had banned everyone from using the Bifrost- by going to Heimdall. He asked us if we would defy the commands of Loki, break every oath we had taken as warriors and risk death to bring you and Halea back. And when we said yes, he gave Sif his sword and left us to open the portal," Hogun finished, his dark eyes watching Thor's.

I smiled at the thought of how much they cared for us- how much they had risked to bring us back to Asgard, my hand pressing over Thor's heart.

"We never should have let you go- either of you," Volstagg admitted, Thor finally moving at his words.

He took the fragile tulip off of his vest and crushed it in his palm, shaking his head, his blonde locks blowing in the gentle breeze. "There was no stopping me, and certainly not Halea. I was arrogant, reckless, dangerous… I am not what Asgard needs in its king," Thor murmured, Fandral's eyes widening at his best friend.

"And so you would leave Loki on the throne? Laufey himself said that there were traitors in the House of Odin-King; there was an attempt on your father's life not a day after he had fallen into his Odin-sleep and it was Loki who 'defended' him. You know as well as I do Thor that a master of magic could easily bring three Jotuns into Asgard. Brother or not, you know that Loki is not right," the handsome one said, my husband taking one menacing step towards him. I touched his arm lightly, Thor looking at me when our skin had finally met, "You know that Fandral speaks the truth- Loki has always been jealous of you and it was your ceremony that was interrupted before you were named heir to the throne. Thor, who else could elude Heimdall's gaze with tricks of light and shadow?

"My love, it is our duty to defend Asgard. And if any of their suspicions prove true, then all of Asgard is in mortal danger."

We all turned to the rumbling overhead, backing away from the runes on the desert floor as the Bifrost began to roar above. Dread began to grow inside of me like a disease, my hand pulling in Thor's. "We must leave," I whispered, my hand pressing to my stomach. The car windows around us began to shatter, Thor wrapping his arms around me as the sky opened up.

We ran to Jane's car, all of us crowding in to escape the growing winds.

Erik began to drive back through the desert, Thor holding onto me as I stared out of the back window at the death we would never escape.

The Destroyer.


	26. Death and Reincarnation

I stood, in shock and horror, as I watched the fire fight in the distance, knowing that it would not be long before it reached us. I was not alone in the street, many of our wedding guests and others standing as we watched annihilation fast approaching.

"Everyone that can needs to leave this town," Thor said, shouting orders as he prepared for battle. The townspeople and the Warriors Three were attempting to get everyone to safety, Sif holding a child as she searched for its mother.

A gentle jerk pulled me back into the presence, time seeming to speed up as I was forced to truly be in the moment.

Jane looked at me, her eyes searching mine, "Halea, Thor-"

"Where is he," I questioned softly, looking around as if I were in a daze. I walked over to my husband and touched his arm, Thor pulling me to him without a word. "Make Jane and Darcy and Erik leave," I whispered, his eyes flashing down to me. "I have already spoken to them… and you must go with them as well. I will come for you," Thor said, closing his eyes and pressing his temple to mine as I inhaled in shock. "Leave you? Thor, it is our wedding day and I promised you that I would stand by your side, husband-" He opened his eyes and stared at me furiously, shaking me just as he had once before. "Halea, I am still a warrior and I will fight by them," he replied sharply, Sif and the others joining us once they had witnessed our angry exchange. I began to cry and looked up at Thor, "You are mortal now and if you fight, you will die."

"Or get one of us killed, trying to protect you," Fandral spoke honestly, Sif reaching out to touch his shoulder. "They are right Thor: the best thing you can do is get the Midgardians to safety and leave the battle to us." Thor looked at the people around us and nodded, inhaling deeply, "If you will not go Halea, then be of some use to me. We must clear the streets as quickly as we can- I will let none of these people die this day."

"You must go to your homes or escape town if you can," I said, Jane rushing to my side. We shared a look of complete and utter understanding before working in tandem to spare as many lives as we could.

It was not long, however, before Thor called for me, my hand wrapping around Jane as we ran to safety.

I watched as the Destroyer strode up the street, a red, fiery glow emanating from within. "May God have mercy," Erik gasped, Odin-King's servant and Loki's pawn unleashing the fire inside of it, destroying cars and setting the storefronts aflame.

The Warriors Three stood in front of the Destroyer much further down the road, attempting to halt its path. "Our friends fight bravely, but you know they will not be able to hold it back for long," I whispered, pressing myself behind a car. Thor wrapped his arm around me and I sighed, staring around the corner at the unfolding fight. We watched with bated breath as Hogun and Fandral launched Volstagg into the air at the Destroyer, the warrior smashing into it with all of its might. I almost rejoiced before seeing the creature keep to its feet, grabbing Volstagg and hurling him savagely.

"No!"

Sif leapt off from a rooftop high above, plunging her spear into the place where the Destroyer's head met its body. "She has done it," Thor said, the mechanical beast standing there motionless as its fire dimmed behind its faceplate. I did not allow myself to have the hope that Thor did, the creature soon stirring with life, the fire igniting once again. "Sif, move," I screamed, seeing the trepidation grow on her face. Darcy gripped my arm as slowly the Destroyer spun its torso around fully and aimed its fire breath at Sif. She barely escaped the behemoth, dodging the blast before she slammed to the earth and moved no more. The Warriors Three attempted to regroup as the Destroyer lashed out once more, all of them flying in different directions. I did not even have a chance to muster up a scream as Thor knocked me to the ground and pushed the others away, a storefront near us exploding. I was showered in glass, Thor receiving the brunt of the force as he shielded me with his body.

"Erik," Jane shrieked, Thor and I both looking through the debris to find him impaled on a twisted piece of iron. I scrambled to his side and pulled him into my lap the best I could, literally seeing all of the blood drain out of his face- out of his body- and onto my dress. "Go Halea, leave me," Erik said, coughing up blood. "No, I am not leaving you! You stay with me Erik Selvig!"

"Hogun's crystals…"

Before I could even question Thor, he was running, dodging through the flaming wreckage in the street to where our friend lay in pain. He raced back to my side and I looked up at him, seeing the pouch in his hand. "Pull the rod out of him," Thor said, looking over his shoulder nervously. I took the bag from him and looked at Darcy, "Put your hand on the wound. Jane, hold his hand." I pulled the metal out of Erik before emptying the contents of the pouch into my hand, the tiny crystals sparkling in my palm. With a steadying breath, I crushed the crystals into the wound, Erik trying to fight me off as best he could.

"Thor, stop," Jane yelled, looking over my shoulder as I tended to Erik.

My husband had run off to Sif and pulled her behind a burning vehicle, the brave woman dazed, battered and bloody in his arms. They seemed to exchange words for a long moment before looking at me, Thor nodding to her once before Sif stood and walked over to me on weak legs. "Where is he going," I questioned, Sif slumping to the ground beside me. "He is going to get the others… That husband of yours is a fool; when I told him I wanted to die a warrior's death- that stories would be told of this day- Thor told me to go live and tell the stories myself. I believe that Midgard has made him soft of heart," Sif replied, her hand pressed to her ribs.

"No Sif, Midgard made him a strong man. It was becoming a father than softened his heart…"

I watched as Hogun and Fandral were roused, Thor helping them pull Volstagg away from the battlefield. And then the Destroyer was upon them, my husband seeming to ignore our screams as we pleaded for him to run.

Thor turned to the Destroyer and stood before him, defenseless and with his arms spread.

"Thor! No," I pleaded, Sif and Darcy holding me back as tears streamed down my face.

The Destroyer hesitated at the sight of him, defenseless, nothing but a man, and then the creature struck him with an enormous blow, crush all of my dreams before him. I heard the cracking of his bones as Thor went flying through the air, landing in a crumpled, broken heap before me. "No," I screamed hoarsely, tearing away from the others. I ran to Thor's side and cradled his head, sobbing uncontrollably as he gasped. "Halea, go back," Thor coughed out, blood running from the corner of his mouth.

I shook my head tearfully, stroking his hair back, "I will not leave you alone, not now…"

"I am so sorry; I never meant for any of this to happen-"

I hushed him quietly, feeling the tension and exertion his body was going through with every ragged breath he drew. "Thor, you are in pain and you are not making this any easier on my heart. Go to the great hall of Valhalla and take my life with you; I will never return to Asgard- not without you. I will be okay, sweet, and your children will know of their father's might, of his greatness, of your sacrifice," I whispered, silent tears running from his eyes.

A dark shadow passed overhead and Thor exhaled heavily, "Your valravn, always watching over you… as I will watch over you. As I will watch over all of you."

"Yes, prince," I whispered, stroking his cheek. I turned to where the Destroyer was continuing towards us. "I love you so Thor."

"And I love you."

His eyes closed and I felt all of the tension leave his body as his last breath caressed his lips, the Destroyer standing over us. I swallowed as I kissed Thor one last time, standing and staring at the beast before me. My hand was pressed to my stomach, one of the children within me kicking at my touch.

The Destroyer lowered its massive head towards him and I watched as it opened its faceplate, the intensity of the fire behind it growing.

I felt the heat blistering my own skin as the flames reached out to touch Thor's body, choking on my breath when lightening struck.

Right to Thor's heart.


	27. Worthy

The Destroyer was hurled backwards and I was knocked off of my feet as well, the landing feeling much more softer than I knew it should have felt. Dust enveloped the street and I gasped as I felt my body be constricted, my hands digging at the dirt.

And then I knew what had happened, my fingers wrapping around the hilt of my sword.

I had been deemed noble, virtuous… worthy.

Standing as the dust settled, I heard the gasps of Jane, Darcy and Erik, my attention and my sight focusing on the man before me in all of his Asgardian glory. "Thor." He looked at me, healed of his wounds and clad in his full battle armor as I was, holding Mjolnir in his hand triumphantly as he embraced his birthright- he was the god of thunder once more.

"I have proved my worth," he smiled triumphantly, kneeling as he slammed his hammer to the ground.

Lightning struck the Destroyer just as it stood, the creature convulsing as I darted into stab and slash at it with my sword. I watched as Thor swung Mjolnir and lifted into the air, my husband summoning his winds. I smiled and braved the wind, the debris from the battle rising into the air. I summoned my valkyries as well and they joined the storm, shrieking and turning it into a maelstrom around it. The Destroyer however was unaffected and blasted its fire at Thor with all of his might, Thor putting Mjolnir before him. He pushed the fire back towards the Destroyer, Thor jamming the hammer deep into its faceplate. My valkyries flew down and held the beast to the ground as its fire built up within him, Thor braving the blast as the Destroyer exploded completely.

"A little help," he asked, smiling when I impaled my sword through the Destroyer's head. With a mighty pull, he reclaimed Mjolnir, staring at me over the Destroyer's lifeless carcass. My valkyries turned into smoke and I inhaled deeply, reaching out to cup his cheek.

"You are worthy Thor Odin-son."

We kissed, his hand fisting in my hair as I held my body to his tightly. I had not lost him in a chasm of darkness, to his future glory waiting in Valhalla, for he had returned to me, once again solid and warm and real in every sense of the world. His fingers swept over my face and then over my stomach, his tremble unable to escape my watchful eyes.

Thor ended the kiss much too quickly for my liking, his beautiful, wondrous face smiling as I strained to press my lips to his once more. "I promise you now that I will spend the rest of my life with my lips upon yours… when we return to Asgard. And this time, whatever fate lies before me, I will not let myself be taken from you," my husband said, taking me in his arms and kissing me passionately.

"Yes, Asgard."

"Jane, I thank you so much," I said, hugging her tightly. She nodded and smiled before I looked to the Warriors Three, holding my hand out. "Give me whatever gold you have upon your person."

She protested as we emptied gold pieces into her hands, looking up at me with tears in her eyes, "You deserve this and so much more Jane Foster- and you will receive so much more. I will return one day and hopefully soon, to repay my debt to you."

I turned to Darcy and pinched her cheek, the younger woman smiling.

"Such a sweet child. You will do great things if only you put your mind to them- and I expect you to put your mind to them, for I will be watching," I threatened half-heartedly, her smile blinding even through her tears. I stroked them away with my thumb, sighing, "This is not goodbye Darcy; I will see you again."

"Should you make me weep as well," Erik questioned when I turned to him. We embraced and he rubbed my back comfortingly, his voice low in my ear, "I have heard many a time that the strength of a woman can carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. Never have I truly believed it until now when I have seen you carry a child, a husband and the entire universe. You have made your ancestors proud Halea, goddess of war and you have made a friend out of me."

I clutched him tightly and kissed his cheek before releasing him, looking at Agent Coulson and the few SHIELD agents that had survived the Destroyer's attack. "I guess you weren't lying when you said that you were the goddess of war," he said timidly, my smile wide and smug. Thor wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my temple, clutching my body to his. "Know this, son of Coul, you and I fight for the same cause- the protection of this world and all others. From this day forward, count Halea, Asgard and I as your allies in the defense of Midgard… if you return the items you have stolen from Jane Foster."

Jane smirked at Coulson, the agent looking at her pointedly, "Not stolen, but borrowed. But you'll get your equipment back; you're going to need it to continue your research... which, after today's events, SHIELD would like to fully sponsor. If that's all right with you."

"That's perfectly fine."

We stepped onto the runes and Thor looked towards the sky, holding me even more securely to him.

"Heimdall! Open the Bifrost!"

After a moment, the Bifrost exploded down towards us, every fiber of my being opening the pull towards Asgard. However, in the last instance before I was taken a thousand years and a million lifetimes away, my eyes were locked on the three people who had become almost like a family to me.

Jane had her arm around Darcy's waist and Erik had her arm around her shoulders, his head on top of hers. They were all smiling, the women with tears in their eyes and Erik waving goodbye.

Their faces were the last things I saw before I was carried up and away to a battle I had not yet won.


	28. Return to Asgard

I gasped for breath as we emerged from the Bifrost, looking towards the controls to see Heimdall slumped over them. I ran to his side and Hogun helped me to shut off the vortex roaring behind us, the Gatekeeper looking up at me. "It was Loki; he discovered that I had let the Warriors Three and the Lady Sif into the Bifrost- and it angered him. When he relieved me of my duties as Gatekeeper for my act of treason against the throne, I attempted to keep Loki from going to Midgard himself. He used… the casket to attack me," Heimdall said, fading in and out of consciousness. I pressed my fingers to his throat, looking up at my husband, "His pulse is severely weakened. I fear he may not survive this."

"Take him to the healing room," he said, looking towards Odin-King's castle. "Leave my brother to me."

People stared and rejoiced as Thor and I strode into the castle, making our way to the throne room. My eyes fell on Frigga as she stood beside Loki, her haunted gaze falling on me. Thor's brother sat on the throne, two Frost Giants keeping guard. I looked over at my husband as he glared at the man who had tried to kill us both- and our unborn children- rage rippling off of his very person.

When Loki and Thor met eyes, Odin-King's younger soon gasped in shock before pointing to where we stood, "Kill them."

I pulled my sword and rushed at the guard closest to me, slashing him across the thighs. When he had fallen to his knees, I beheaded him quickly, the Jotun that Thor was fighting with falling to the ground shortly after his comrade.

"Loki-"

Thor stopped as his brother raised Gungnir, Loki smiling, "Mjolnir found its way back to you, did it?"

"No thanks to you," Thor said coldly, moving so that he was in front of me, shielding me from Loki's wrath. "You lied to me Loki, traitorious son, and told me that my father was dead because of grief over my actions… because of me. And then you sent the Destroyer to kill my friends, to kill me- and that I could have accepted. But when you put my wife and the lives of my children in harm's way, you crossed the line."

"It is so good to have you back brother. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go destroy Asgard and the rest universe," Loki said, smiling as he threw the spear at Thor. I shoved my husband to the ground and received the spear in Thor's stead, gasping in shock and pain. "Halea!" With a grunt, I pulled the spearhead out of my shoulder, biting my bottom lip and clutching my wound. Loki summoned the spear as Thor tended to me, disappearing somewhere out of sight. "I am fine Thor, but we must stop Loki before he kills everyone," I said, my husband wrapping his arm around my waist.

We got down to Heimdall's Observatory as quickly as we could, seeing the Bifrost opening up into space. "He has started with Jotunheim," I said, feeling the Bifrost energy racing through the rainbow bridge underneath my feet. I pushed Thor towards the Observatory as I looked at Loki, weakened. My hand came up to shield my eyes, my heart pounding in my chest as Loki smiled at Thor.

"Well brother, you have come to enjoy the show."

"Stop this Loki. Now, before you corrupt your soul and the name of this kingdom," Thor roared, raising Mjolnir as if to destroy the control panel itself. Loki used Gungnir to blast my husband away from him, menacing even despite his smile. "No one can stop this- the Bifrost will build up until it rips Jotunheim apart. I am doing what Father never would, what you never could and now you try to stop me? What is this newfound love for the Frost Giants? You, who would have killed them all with your bare hands-"

Thor got to his feet, glaring at his brother, "I have changed."

"And so have I."

Loki swung at Gungnir at Thor once more, my husband catching its shaft in his hand and rearing back as if to return the blow. "Loki, just stop! Is the throne really worth what you have done? Is it worth what you would become," I questioned, Thor hesitating as Loki laughed. "Stupid woman, I never wanted the throne-" I watched as Thor was flung to the ground, the King of Asgard standing over him with Gungnir at his throat, "Now fight me god of thunder!"

"I will not," Thor said, looking over at where I stood. "You are my brother."

"I am not! I never was," Loki screamed, enraged. "The Casket was not the only thing your bastard father took from Jotunheim that day in the aftermath of the battle. He took me from that world, thinking that one day we could unite the kingdoms, bring about an alliance, bring about a permanent peace through me. I am no more than another stolen relic- it all made sense when Odin explained to me the circumstances of my birth, because no matter how much he claimed to love me, he could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the Throne of Asgard!"

Loki swung down before Thor dodged the blow, rolling over away from his brother.

He tripped Loki and got to his feet, my husband holding Mjolnir as the trickster, ever the quick one, stood, brushing at the blood upon his lips.

"You will pay sorely for that, Thor Odin-son."


	29. To End it All

I watched as Thor and Loki fought, the brothers battling savagely. Loki fired Gungnir at his brother, my husband sliding across the slick surface of the rainbow bridge as Mjolnir was knocked from his hand. We both gasped in horror as the hammer flew into the Bifrost towards Jotunheim. "No," Thor shouted, raising his hand and trying to summon his hammer back. It was only when Mjolnir had disappeared into the maelstrom that I noticed Thor himself was sliding towards the abyss, jumping on his back to pin him down with my body.

"Hold on Thor," I said over the roar of the Bifrost, my hand tight on his cape.

My hand stretched out towards the Bifrost and I closed my eyes, my husband yelling at me to let him go. I mustered all of my strength and will towards Mjolnir, inhaling deeply, "Come to me."

The hammer pulled us free of the Bifrost's pull as it flew into my hand, Loki attempting to blast us again as my hand lashed up, the energy being deflected off of Mjolnir. It fired back at Loki and I watched as he flew over the edge of the bridge, Thor shouting for his brother. We both scrambled to our feet, Thor going to Loki as I went to try and shut off the Bifrost again.

"Please," I heard Loki screaming, looking up from Heimdall's control panel to see Thor reaching down to grab for Loki. But it was not his brother that was dangling precariously over the edge of the rainbow bridge as he thought- he was standing behind Thor with Gungnir raised, preparing to deal the deathblow. "Thor!" I threw Brunhilda at Loki, hearing him gasp as it impaled him in the back. Thor turned to look at Loki as I rushed to retrieve Gungnir, slipping across the rainbow bridge.

Thor stood over his fallen brother, Loki lying dazed on his back with Brunhilda protruding through his chest when my husband raised Mjolnir. I turned to see him wince, Thor hesitating as the time of Loki's death drew near. The younger Odin-son looked up to his brother, sneering angrily as pity flitted across Thor's features, "Why do you hesitate, great god of thunder? Kill me. Protect your wife. Save the world."

"I will not kill you brother," Thor shouted angrily, Loki laughing. I stood with Gungnir and looked at Thor's brother, turning to my husband. "He is dangerous… We cannot allow him to live when he has killed so many-"

"We can save him."

I looked at Thor desperately before moving to Loki, pulling my sword from him and turning to the Bifrost. It had gained in strength, the energy moving underneath me seeming as if it made the universe shake. Loki coughed and laughed, "Look at you, the Mighty Thor with all your worth and your strength. What good does it do you now?"

"He is right," Thor whispered, looking at me for guidance I did not have to offer. "I am powerless."

"No you are not," I whispered, looking at Mjolnir.

Thor nodded and raised Mjolnir, Loki looking at him in shock. I watched as clouds gathered above us, thunder rumbling until it shook the earth. Lightning arced off of the hammer as Thor channeled all of the power of his storm into Mjolnir, roaring angrily as he struck his hammer down upon the rainbow bridge.

I had never seen a blow so massive.

My hands began to shake as the passage quaked angrily, shaking the Observatory as if it were only a toy, the place where Thor had struck cracking open. He raised his hammer once more and slammed it back down against the bridge, the crack growing larger and larger.

"No!"

Loki must have summoned the last of his strength when he disarmed me, though in my weakened state, I would have not been able to fight him off anyway.

Bifrost began to stream out of the crack and I watched as Thor summoned all of his might, raising Mjolnir one last time and bringing it down upon the bridge with a final, terrible blow. I gripped the bridge as the Bifrost shattered underneath me, energy exploding out of it violently. Loki- who had fought his way to his feet- and Thor were both hurled into the air by the force, a wave of destruction moving out from the final blow along the bridge towards the Observatory. The bridge shattered like glass and Heimdall's Observatory broke apart, falling out into maelstrom that the Bifrost had created.

"Thor!"

I slid across the broken bridge to where Thor was holding on to the edge, screaming in pain as he tried to hold on to Loki with Gungnir between them. I looked at the massive wave of energy that my husband dangled over, my heart stopping in my chest. My fingers wrapped around Thor's forearm and I held onto him tightly, feeling my strength fading quickly as I held on to both of Odin-King's sons. "Halea," he said, his blue eyes staring up into mine.

We were an instant from being destroyed by the raging Bifrost, my body sliding off of the bridge slowly.

But the thought of my death did not concern me- I would be with Thor and that was all that mattered.

"No more will die today," a deep voice said, a powerful hand wrapping around my leg. I dangled there as I held on to Thor, Loki looking up in shock.

"Father."

Odin-King, awakened from his sleep, pulled me back onto the bridge and grabbed Thor, my husband screaming for Loki. "Do not let go, brother," he shouted before I saw the younger son apologize to his father and let his fingers fall from Gungnir. Everything was silent even as Thor screamed, all of the rushing energy that was the Bifrost disappearing into a massive blackness in the sky.

I crawled over to where Thor was and took him into my arms, feeling the painful sobs that wracked his body. I could hardly breathe as exhaustion embraced me, my head pressed to Thor's as I tried to comfort him, "Thor, it is alright. It is okay…"

Odin-King looked out over the universe for the moment in which it shimmered before fading into darkness, picking up Gungnir from where it lay abandoned.

"And it is over."


	30. A Bittersweet Battle

Thor and I limped into the castle, the people before us parting for their returned warriors and their once-again healthy king. My hair was tangled and knotted, my cheeks taut from where tears had dried upon them. Thor and I both had a hand pressed to my stomach, comforted by the lives that dwelled within me

"My son!"

Frigga ran to us with tears on her eyes, her eyes searching Thor's as she worried over him. My husband looked back at his mother with a haunted expression even though his beautiful voice did not waiver as he spoke, "Most of Jotunheim was destroyed by Loki's actions tonight, and the Bifrost as well was destroyed…"

"And Loki? Thor, where is your brother," Frigga asked quietly, as if she truly did not want the answer.

"He fell into the Bifrost; I am sorry mother…"

There was silence in all the land of Asgard.

I exhaled in a rush as my knees failed me and I collapsed, calling out for Thor as the fatigue of the night overcame my being. He lifted me into his strong arms and looked around, calling on the king's subjects for help. "Someone go and get me a healer- she has lost a lot of blood and I am afraid it has hurt our children. Hurry, please," my husband said faintly, sounding almost as if he would collapse as well.

Drifting in and out of consciousness, I barely recognized anything other than the fact that I was being passed from arm to arm, the quiet hum of disbelief still ringing in my ears.

* * *

><p>I struggled to open my eyes, feeling the warmth of blankets and the coolness of sheets caressing my naked skin. My hair was spread in a halo around my head, one of my hands tangled in my curls lightly, as if I had pulled there unconsciously.<p>

"Thor."

There was a gentle squeeze from the gently calloused fingers around my own and I smiled softly, knowing that he would not or could not speak. I was intensely relieved by his presence despite the state I knew he was in, severe lethargy making my movements seem slow and labored as I moved to look at my husband. Thor sat at my bedside, one of his hands wrapped around mine and the other pressed against my stomach as he looked down, keeping his eyes from me. "The healers have worked on you and you will be fine, in time. They cannot risk subjecting you to too much magic so as not to harm the children- who are completely well and perfectly fine and growing healthy," he murmured, looking up at me.

I was silent, watching his internal turmoil as his eyes watered slightly.

"Halea, no matter what he did, he was my brother. I watched him die and I did not save him- I fought my brother," Thor said in a defeated tone, choking back the building sob I could hear growing within him. "I should have done something more, I should have…"

He fell silent as he looked at his hand, feeling the small, fluttering movement I myself had experienced from within me. Thor was quiet for a long moment before looking at me, biting his bottom lip, "My sweet… Can- may I sit with you?" I nodded before moving over, pointing to my vanity and smiling. "If you bring me the brush, please," I requested quietly, Thor doing as I asked. He undressed quickly and climbed into the bed beside me, baring his back to me.

After a few long moments, I reached out tentatively and ran my fingers through his blonde tangles, "I am afraid this will not do…"

I began to brush through his hair, taming the angry snarls until they shone like spun gold.

Any adrenaline I had had from the battle over the fate of the universe had completely faded, leaving me saddened and in shock. Thor had been correct in his feelings: Loki had been my brother and no matter what he had done or how much he had deserved punishment, he had not, however, deserved death; but then again, Loki had masterminded the ends of his own life and he had done it on his own terms.

When I was done brushing my husband's hair, I sighed and laid my head on Thor's shoulder, kissing his flesh softly.

"You have set sails for the great journey brother, set out for the long travel. May the Disir keep you company as you travel and bring you safely to the other side- Valhalla grant his passage, ship of the Vanir speed his journey. Dear brother, for awhile we will not see your face among us, and though we miss you and your company in our daily lives, you are still in community with us, and we with you. We are united together by our love and our bond, and this community continues, here and hereafter. This union between us is as strong in life as it is in death, and this bond unites us, wherever we dwell," I murmured, sending a prayer to Loki in the afterlife.

I listened as Thor wept fitfully, reaching over him to pressing my hand over his heart.

He looked at me with tears in his eyes and shook his head, running his fingers back through his hair. "Do not think me weak or ungrateful my lovely Halea. I am thankful for everything I have… for everything I do not have because it has made me the man I am today. Your man, good and worthy, a righteous man- I am not perfect, in fact, far from it, but I am yours, sweet girl," Thor whispered, turning so that I was laying on his chest.

"And I am so incredibly thankful for you, my prince."

I laid on his chest, my stomach traversing his midsection. We looked at each other, my chin on my hands folded over Thor's chest, feeling the faint but steady and rapid beat that was our babies' heartbeats reverberating throughout my being.

It was our bittersweet moment, our light in the darkness that was our grief.


	31. The Pride of a Father

Thor and I entered the great hall to a roaring thunder of cheering and applause, Thor dressed in his formal armor while I donned a beautiful white gown of flowing silk. My hair was piled on top of my head in an intricate manner and I was dripping in gems, my hand caressing my stomach.

We were finally celebrating after the trans-world battle, at last able to have the wedding banquet and celebration we were robbed off the first time. It was almost difficult to realize that we were home, that we had nothing else to fight for- Thor and I both knew that we should have been happy, and we were, but there was a part of us that was not.

I sat down between Frigga and Thor, the Warriors Three and Sif sitting nearby, all feeling the same strain that we were.

"Hear, hear," Odin-King shouted, everyone falling silent. "This is a glorious day! My son was banished to Midgard for his arrogance and now he has returned, humble, and with a wife who carries his children and hopefully an heir to the throne!"

Everyone cheered and I blushed, Thor smiling over to where I sat.

"And so, it has come the time for us to celebrate and to say goodbye- to both Loki and myself. I have decided with recent events that I shall leave the throne and spend the last of my days with my wife and with the countrymen I cherish so," Odin-King said proudly, raising his glass. We did the same and Thor stood, looking around the room. "To Loki, the brother and charlatan we all knew and loved. To the All Father, a king to be thankful for. And to a mighty heart named Halea, for saving this world and all the rest!"

"To Loki, Odin-King and Halea!"

The feast commenced, everyone coming to give their thanks and congratulations on our marriage and my being with child. I looked at Hogun as he sat between Fandral and Volstagg, smiling as the other two talked animatedly about the battle with the Destroyer. "And then, with a with a mighty bellow, I flew at the great metal beast and laid it low," Volstagg started, Fandral laughing loudly. The handsome one shook his head, drowning himself in wine, "Is that another way of saying you fell on your huge ass?"

"As a matter of fact, falling down was a tactic-"

"I need to excuse myself," Thor said suddenly, standing before kissing my head and exiting out to the balcony. I looked to Frigga, seeing her lost in thought as she watched Thor's retreating form, her face betraying the sadness she so struggled to conceal. I reached out and took her hand, my mother-in-law giving me a gentle smile. "I am so sorry Frigga," I whispered, her eyes seeming to shimmer as new emotion boiled to the surface. "Thank you, Halea," she replied lovingly, looking once more to where Thor had sought solace. "How is he?"

I sighed and looked down, inhaling deeply, "He mourns for his brother, but he knows that he tried and that he did what he had to do to protect our children."

"Yes and he will need you now more than ever," Frigga said, reaching out to press her hand against my stomach. I nodded in reply, thinking fondly of the husband I knew needed me most in this moment. "I will always be at his side, mother." Frigga brought my hand up and kissed it, "Then go to him."

I stood fluidly and ghosted out to the balcony on which Thor stood alone, lost in his thoughts. Without a word, I went to his side and wrapped my arms around him, Thor bending down to press his face into my curls. "Everyone knows that it will not be easy- we have much work ahead of us, rebuilding the Bifrost, raising our children… but Thor, you cannot continue you to suffer so. No expects you to be happy… you lost your brother and it will take much time before you are happy-"

"Halea, you do not understand," Thor murmured, shaking his head. "I am happy, overwhelmingly happy over you and over being here in Asgard- but that emotion feels so foreign with Loki being gone. I miss him; I know that he and I did not always get along, but at the end of the day he was my brother. I cannot just forget about him- I cannot just be happy, not when I realize that the first person I had ever truly loved is now gone."

I looked up at him and he turned to kiss me, cradling my face in his hands delicately.

"And there is so much to look forward to- little shoes and gowns, blankets and cots and bath tubs and prams; the mere thought of having a child is terrifying, but two-"

"Do not tell me that you are getting nervous now," I laughed, Thor cupping my growing stomach. He shook his head and took a knee, pressing his face against my stomach. "Hello, my beautiful children, this is your father," Thor said in a quiet, cooing tone, launching into a long discussion with our unborn children. I laughed and hummed in response, rubbing the top of my stomach gently. "Hmm, I believe that we are having two daughters," he said, looking up at me. "I think that I would like that very much."

I cut my eyes at him, shaking my head, "We shall have two sons."

"Halea," Thor replied sharply as I closed my eyes in defeat. I felt his smile of triumph against my rounded skin, his murmurings ceasing quickly as we were joined by an immense presence.

"Ah, the joys of fatherhood. You will be a great father, my son," Odin-King said, Thor standing and smiling. "I still have much to learn before the children arrive for there will never be a better father than you, or a better king. I have much to learn; I know that now, but someday, perhaps… I will make you proud."

Odin-King moved forward to grip Thor's shoulder, looking at the hand of his son and my own pressed against my womb, "Thor, you have already made me proud. So very proud."


	32. Ache

Thor and I entered his chambers, my husband quickly undressing from the night's events as I stood in the middle of the floor, unable to find myself at peace. I looked around at the chaos around me, closing the door with a thump and sighing heavily. We were in the process of transitioning from our small and separate chambers to the sovereign suites, Thor's room in much more disarray than I was used to.

Rubbing my sore and aching back, I looked around hopelessly, wondering if I should even attempt to get into bed with him- I knew that the children would not allow me to rest without putting up a great fight, much like their father already.

I placed a hand to my stomach and as if on cue, the small people inhabiting my womb stretched and curled around inside of me, the flutters of movements and kicks giving my insides a fair beating.

"Halea, are you troubled sweet?"

Smiling at him wryly, I reached up to tuck my unruly hair behind my hair and yawned, "No but I ache."

"Ah- I do believe I might have the perfect remedy," Thor said, looking at me thoughtfully before standing from his place on the bed and moving into the bathroom. I smiled and undressed as well, knowing that he was running a bath for me before I moved to stand in front of the mirror. For some reason, I had a mild fascination with my own figure and how the babies were growing within me.

My pregnancy had changed me even within these first six months, noting the heavy swells that shaped each contour- it was beautiful, even as I realized that my body as I knew it would never be the same again.

And I did not even care.

I heard the tap being closed and rubbed my hands over my naked stomach lovingly, going to join Thor.

The room smelled of the lavender essence and spices that had used to scent the bathwater, Thor looking up at me with a smile that was anything but coy on his face. "Come and sit sweetness," he said coaxingly, pouring some soap into the tub and swirling it around with his fingers until it created a thick foam over the surface of the steaming water. I held onto Thor's arm as he lowered me into the tub, my husband watching me curiously, as if he were searching for something that went undiscovered. "Hmmm, I could look at you for the rest of my life… I have to resist the urge to go down on bended knee and caress your womb- your beautiful, loving and beloved body- that carries my seed. Every time I see you," he murmured quietly, my cheeks growing warm as I blushed. "I believe that you have some sort of obsession with me…"

Thor laughed and nodded, "Indeed I do and for my infatuation, I will not apologize- not when the sight of your body makes me weak like a child. I do not even know if you understand how you awaken my desires and how only making love to you quenches that desire."

"I surely do not," I replied faintly, closing my eyes and sinking down into the tub deeper.

"Well, let us start with your marvelous face… You have a light within you that touches my soul deeper than anything else ever could, this beauty of perfection. Your eyes are clear and open, able to look right into my soul as if my body were only a window. And your nose, straight and perfect, with a tip just slightly upturned to make you seem… supercilious, even though I know you are anything but. Your lips, better to kiss than to ever talk about," Thor murmured, leaning forward just as I opened my eyes. We kissed and I sat up, wrapping my arms around my husband's shoulders. "Take your pants off and come join me."

Thor smiled and kissed me again, "But I have not yet finished with you. I know where your intentions lie and I simply must continue, but we can turn to other interests… Your breasts are already swollen, the nipples softer and lush and sweet-"

"Odin-son…"

He did as I asked and slid into the bath in front of me, my arms coming around him. Thor shifted our bodies so that I was straddling his hips, his hands bruising my waist from where he held me. I felt his hardness straining between my thighs and gasped as he brought us together, my back arching.

We made love for the longest time, our movements unhurried and relaxed.

When we had finally reached our release, I relaxed back into Thor, the water definitely cooler but not unpleasant to my heat-flushed skin. I rested my head on his shoulder, giggling as he traced his lithe fingers down the rounded front of my body. "Would you actually like your bath now," my husband asked, already reaching for the sponge. I leaned forward ever so slightly and let him wash my back, Thor singing softly in his low, soothing voice.

"And know, for the babies."

I smiled as he washed my stomach, swatting his hands away as he began to tickle and tease.

Thor smiled at me and I pressed my hand to my chest, staring at him intensely. There was this part of my heart that was always mirrored this happy amazement in my gaze, the overwhelming incredulity that here was someone who was willing to give up his life for me, someone who knew all of my heart and all of my soul…

"I love you with more faith than I ever had since the days of my earliest childhood," I said quietly, my husband looking back at me curiously.

"I think that it is well past time for us to retire to our bed…"

I looked at him with desire in my heart and held my hand out to him, nodding, "Then let us retire."


	33. Walking Through the Forest

I laid in bed, finding sleep not at all to my liking the more our babies grew and became active within me.

My ears perked up slightly as my door cracked open and I regained full consciousness, heavy footsteps making their way over to our bed. The mattress sunk down underneath Thor's immense weight as he sat, forcing me to shift infinitesimally so as not to roll against him. His calloused but gentle fingers dragged down my side, from breast to hip before sliding to caress my navel, "Good morning my darlings- my daughters and my wife."

When I did not respond, Thor stroked my hair back away from my face, leaning over to look at me.

"Halea, my sweet," he asked softly. "Are you well? Would you still like to go for a walk with me today?"

"I am not in the mood for your flirtations today Thor. Go away and leave me to sleep," I murmured irritably, placing one of my hands on my stomach and shifting into a slightly more comfortable position, keeping my eyes carefully shut. The slightest hints of light hurt and I knew that before long I would have a severe headache and more pain in my body than I wanted to confront. He sighed heavily and before I even had a chance to protest, Thor had swept me up into his arms and taken me into the bathroom, smiling as I released my anger out on him. I was forced to bathe and change into Thor's favorite pregnancy gown against my will, loose-fitting and flowing everywhere other than my breasts- they had grown far beyond what I had expected and there was nothing I could do about my buxom appearance; my husband, however, had no complaints. "Thor, my ankles are dreadfully swollen- I am not going anywhere. I do not care if all the flowers in the universe are in bloom at this very moment," I glared, my husband holding his hand out to me wordlessly. I looked him over, my husband dressed in only a vest and pants, sighing as I took his hand.

We went through the forest, Thor watching over me protectively even though I held my own just fine.

There was no need to speak as Thor and I ventured deeper, the trees growing tall above us as sunlight dappled down upon our skin.

"And thus we have arrived," Thor smiled as we came to the riverbank, the trees dropping their blossoms into the slow-moving river. I smiled and began to walk along the water, Thor instead deciding to keep a watchful eye on me from the long on which he had always favored in our younger days.

I hummed as I danced slowly upon the rocks, feeling tiny rivulets of water running over my toes. My husband sat up from where he had been lounging, his eyes on me carefully, "Halea, be careful. You will slip."

"Thor, you are an over-protective fool," I started before one of the rocks shifted underfoot. I shrieked as I plunged into the water, a sharp pain traveling up my leg. Before I even had the chance to gulp in a breath of water, Thor was yanking me up and out of the river, his face serious. "Are you harmed," he asked, taking me away from the water. I reached down to touch the ugly gash on the inside of my ankle, whimpering quietly. Thor began to fuss over me before I gasped, pressing my hand to my stomach, "I need a moment!"

I felt for the two heartbeats in my womb, inhaling deeply as a feeling like that of butterfly winds beat against each other. "I guess had to make sure that I did not harm them. Oh, I am so foolish…"

* * *

><p>Thor held my ankle in his lap as he rubbed a painless salve over my injured ankle, complying with my wishes not to go to a healer. "This will take a few days to heal, you do realize," he asked quietly, bandaging the wound. "Maybe then you will let me sleep." When Thor glared up at me, I smiled, reaching out to tuck his hair behind his ear, "This was after all, your fault for making me leave the bed in the first place."<p>

"If you were still a child, I would raise my hand to you."

"You would not."

I laughed as Thor began to run his fingertips over the sole of my foot, trying my best to pull away from him. "You shall not escape my wrath," he threatened playfully, moving up to the back of my knee. I jiggled my foot and began to beat at him with light fists, "Thor, it tickles!"

There was a knock upon our bedroom door, Frigga entering after Thor gave her consent.

"Ah All Mother, you have saved me from a most undeserved punishment," I smiled, Thor kissing my temple as he stood. Frigga looked at him quizzically as Thor moved to wash his hands, my husband smiling mischievously. "The little one thought that she would chastise me for her falling into the river- even after I told her to be careful."

"A fall? Halea, are you injured sweet," Frigga asked, sitting down and taking my ankle in her hand.

Thor returned from the bathroom and nodded, "She will be fine as long as she rests- and I am glad that she is now forced to; no matter how she protests about how tired she is, she rarely sits… Mother, did you come for something?"

"Yes, actually. Your father wishes to speak to you and I as well require your wife's help on the affairs of the sovereign suite- women's duties, homemaking and the such. Go to your father Thor; you should not worry over the things that Halea and I will discuss," Frigga said, sitting down beside me on the edge of my bed. I looked at her wryly, my hands caressing my stomach, "More plans for the lavish nursery of your grandchildren?"

"Of course."


	34. Vocation

I stood in the mirror, brushing out my curls as Thor and I prepared for our ascension to the thrones.

"I am not ready for this."

Turning to look at Thor, I set down my brush and leaned against my vanity. He was dressed in the most beautiful unshined silver, his attire that of a warrior king. "Come sit and let me brush your hair," I said, pulling out the chair. My husband sighed and sat, closing his eyes as I began to massage his scalp lightly with my fingertips. "I do not even understand why I have wanted this for so long, having to worry over my wife and my children and now, an entire kingdom-"

"Thor, every moment in your life has led up to this. You are a king, whether you recognize it or not- you know your people and you understand them, they look to you. You served as Aesir for so long, as a soldier and leader of men. Our warriors and their families and their families' families look to you and they will follow you wherever you lead. Your people need a good and honest king who will do everything in his power to keep them safe, to help them prosper. They will look to you as an example of what they should be, and you will live up to it: that much I know. You are a virtuous and honorable and generous and loving man and I am so blessed- and grateful to have you as my husband. I have not yet understood your loyalty to me- though I treasure it- but I hope that my loyalty to you is not in question."

"Never," Thor said after swallowing, glancing down at his hands.

I began to braid some of his hair above his ears, pulling his long locks back in a suitable hairstyle for the crown. My hands stilled for a moment as I looked down at my burgeoning stomach, Thor looking up to meet my eyes in the mirror. "The babies kick," I said, my husband turning to press his hands against my stomach. Thor stared at my womb for the longest time before pressing his forehead to my hardened flesh, "My destiny lies not in being king- but within you. And I am ready."

"Then let us go."

We made our way to the throne room once more, proud and straight as we prepared for our vocation.

I entered the room behind Thor, my magnificent blue robes trailing behind me over dark silver grown and my handmaiden at my side. A choir was singing as trumpets played, my husband going before his father. I joined him and he helped me to kneel, joining me with his hand on my lower back.

"Today I, Odin All Father, King of Asgard, wishes to step down from the throne and allow my son to fill his birthright. Is there any who protest this decision," Odin-King asked, watching as Thor helped me kneel before doing the same. There was silence in the hall of the king and so Odin smiled, "Men of Asgard! Hear now that this man, Thor, son of Odin and god of thunder, is king!"

I looked up as Odin-King opened a large box of shining silver, presenting Thor with his crown.

"May your days be blessed… my king," Thor's father smiled, my husband standing as the former king knelt. Frigga handed a small box to Thor and I watched as his large hands cradled my fragile circlet, the feminine crown adorning my curls. "And may you bear many children my queen."

I stood with help from my husband and cradled my stomach, Thor looking over our people. "We are king and queen. Behold us," he said quietly, sitting back in his throne.

All of Asgard knelt, white flower blossoms falling from the ceiling as the people began to sing.

"King, may life always grant you a sunbeam to warm you, the Disir to charm you so nothing can harm you. To the queen, fair laughter to cheer you and faithful friends near you. Today we celebrate and in sumbel raise our voice, in feast and blot rejoice, for we are Asatru. Bless our king and queen, that in the night her voice may sing, and make his hardness weak…"

I joined in to sing with them for the final verse, my hand reaching out to take Thor's, "So pass the horn around and sing with joyful sound. Our bond of faith we now renew, for we are Asatru."

"So speaks the end of Odin's govern and the beginning of the reign of Thor-King."

"We shall ride," Thor smiled.

* * *

><p>I sat upon my horse, one of my hands on my stomach and the other on the reins, Thor riding beside me.<p>

The sun shone brightly, warming my skin and lighting the gold and crystal city that was my home. The main street leading to and from the castle was lined with people- our people- many of them holding bouquets of flowers even as many more adorned their homes. I heard the laughter of children and smiled, knowing that Asgard would be a safe place for them to grow. We rode through all of Asgard, soon losing our procession as many of the Asgardians went to retire to their homes. Thor and I knew of the banquet being held in our honor, but we were content thusly to wander in solitude.

"It is a powerful feeling, is it not," I questioned quietly, Thor looking up at the stars above us.

"A powerful feeling indeed."

I turned to stare at my husband for a long moment, Freyja walking slowly beside his new steed- his father's steed. "You have changed, but then again, you have not. It is a strange occurrence, my King," I said lightly, Thor pulling Sleipnir's reins and turning his horse around to face him. I noted the troubled look dancing upon his handsome features, my husband's lips parting after a long moment. "It matters not my status as king- I am your husband first. That… title is not a gesture of respect from you, but a blade that cruelly cuts at the bond of love and of marriage between us-"

"Thor, you are king of men and the ruler of Asgard. My love, your title has bound you as destiny has to far greater things, and I shall support and respect whatever fate holds for you - starting with your name."

"Call me not by that name," my husband said softly, his voice tender. "Call me as I am- sweet, beloved, husband. Thor."

I looked at him with a smile upon my face, feeling the children within me stirring, "I will Thor." He nodded once and turned back towards the castle, calling for my horse to follow.

"We must now retire. I am king, but my duties as a husband beckon me now."

"And heed that obligation, you must."


	35. Preparing for What Lies Ahead

"Are we completely finished," I asked Frigga, my mother-in-law smiling happily. "I must fold these blankets and lay down the last rug, and then yes, we are finished. You can go and get Thor while I take care of these last minute things. I will be gone before you return," she smiled, reaching out and patting my curls. I kissed her cheek before going out of my room and seeking out my husband, finding him in council.

"Excuse me," I said, announcing my presence as I stepped into the room stealthily.

Thor looked up from some papers, his eyes looking me over carefully, "Halea? Are you well?"

"I am fine Thor- I have something to show you; you must come and see," I said impatiently, the council members smiling quietly as a titter rushed through the room. He smiled to me and requested a minute before dismissing the meeting, asking to convene again at a later time. "What has you in such a excitement, my sweet Halea," Thor asked, following me back to our sovereign suite. I opened the door and smiled, looking up at him. "I have decided that now I can finally give you entrance into my maternity suite."

I had been sleeping away from Thor in the weeks nearing the birth of our children, taking up a suite beside the one that we had shared for the first few days as king and queen, Frigga and I working on the nursery that would hopefully house an heir of Thor- he had not been at all pleased with our separation.

He gave me a look and reached out to hold the door open for me as I walked into my suite and through to a side door, watching curiously.

"Do you like it," I asked, taking him by the hand and taking him into the nursery.

I heard his breath hitch softly as he took everything in, his fingers falling away from my own as he sought to venture. Thick, luxurious rugs covered the cold floors that the castle was known for, warm and soft underfoot. Two gilded cradles rested against the wall, each having a rich, royal blue and red covering that was woven by Frigga herself draped over the side. A rocking chair sat in the corner- wide enough for both Thor and I to sit together, should the need call. The shelf was already filled with toys and books that were the histories of Asgard, two crossed swords that had been forged for our tiny warriors.

"Is this my rocking horse," Thor asked curiously, kneeling down before it. "If so then my father made it and mother painted it."

"It is the one, indeed," I smiled, watching as he trailed his fingers over the carvings of branches and leaves reverently. Thor stood and swept me into his arms, smiling happily, "Then this means I must finish my own gift to our children- the bow that I have been working on." I looked at him curiously and he smiled, tucking my hair behind my ear. "I do not have to tell you everything Halea. And besides, it was meant to be a surprise."

Thor picked me up and carried me to my maternity bed, laughing as I tried half-heartedly to push him off. "Thor, I am too pregnant for this," I squealed as he threw me down rather gently, his hand immediately working on his belt. "You could harm me-"

"You know very well that I have never harmed you, and the babies- they like the rocking motion."

I laughed as he began to ravage my neck and chest, his hands pulling at the buttons on the top of my gown. "You are maddening, sweet," I said lowly in my throat, reaching down and pulling my dress up above my hips as Thor fitted himself between my thighs. He grabbed one of my buttocks and pulled me towards him, making me gasp at the feeling. Thor inhaled deeply before beginning to move within me, his panting breaths warm against my skin, "You have kept yourself away from me. I have missed this."

I did not respond as I began to make small attempts to lift my hips, Thor leaning down and capturing my lips between his. Making love was so leisurely and loving with my husband that I actually drifted in and out of consciousness, feeling Thor pause.

"I am so sorry Halea," he began to apologize. "I will let you sleep."

"No," I protested weakly, looking up at him and wrapping my legs around his waist the best I could. I reached up and tucked his hair behind his ear, dragging my fingers down his cheek. "It just felt so good- I want to finish. Please?"

Unable to refuse me, Thor sighed, his chest still heaving as he began to move within me again. When I finally reached my peak, my husband was stroking my face, smiling as his hips lost their vigor. "I will leave you to sleep now," Thor said, leaning down to kiss me before he pulled away. I mustered up all of the strength I possibly could and gave him an angry glare, my husband smiling weakly, "Ah, I cannot fight with you, dear wife…"

I rolled over onto my side and he laid down beside me, his chest flush with my sweaty back. Thor pulled my hair back to expose my neck and kissed me, inhaling deeply. "You smell so delicious… not just the smell of loving making- though at the moment it is certainly a part of your scent- but you also smell like lavender and soap, sweetness and fire and musk… and milk. Your skin smells like milk…"

"My breasts are full," I nodded sleepily, feeling as Thor pulled up the sheets around my hips. "My thighs have gotten fat and my stomach pulls tightly, as if my skin is that of a ripe fruit. My ankles swell…"

"Then it is almost time, yes," Thor asked, needing confirmation.

I closed my eyes again and nestled back into my husband's warmth, "Yes. Soon, so soon…"


	36. Security

I dreamed in vivid colors and sound, unable to sleep peacefully. I tossed and turned with my legs got caught up in my sheets, kicking out as I murmured.

A sharp pain shot up my side, startling me out of my dreams and making me cry out. I sucked in a sharp breath and braced myself as the pain returned, lashing across my stomach as if someone had taken a knife and pulled it there.

"Oh," I groaned lowly, feeling the damp sheets underneath me.

I woke my night nurse by crying out, the maid rushing to my side. "Get my husband," I pleaded, pain blistering within me. She went to the door but Thor was already there, dressed in a thin nightshirt and a pair of pants. He came to my side and pulled me against him, his hand cupping my cheek, "I felt you in my dreams. All of the colors and the sounds…" I winced as his hand touched my stomach, his fingers massaging the firmness underneath my flesh. The night nurse brought a bowl of water and a towel, Thor taking it from her and pressing it to my forehead to keep my fever down.

"Thank you for this, fair one," Thor murmured. "Can you get my mother please?"

The night nurse left and I looked up at my husband, "You should not be here for this…"

"Hush Halea, I am glad I am with you," he replied quietly, stroking my cheek gently. I fisted my sheets in one hand and grabbed Thor's with the other, crying out as a burst of pain nearly rendered me senseless and made tears stream from my eyes. "I shall not survive this."

* * *

><p>"Hold on Halea, give me pause," Frigga asked, her face drawn and serious as she went between my legs, checking to see if I could finally bring an end to my torture. I knew that this was torment for Thor as well, having been forced to leave the room the more my labor progressed. Frigga pressed her hand down on my tender stomach and I felt her probe me, my mother-in-law sucking in a sharp breath. She turned to my night nurse and nodded, "I will need another midwife to assist me and a nurse or two who will care for the children after their births. Send someone to fetch Odin-King, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Tell Thor to prepare himself- this will be difficult for him."<p>

I crumpled over on myself, my body begging me to strain with the contractions. I screamed through the agony, breaking out in a cold sweat as I gripped the bed sheets. There was no escape from the pain, no matter how I twisted and turned- it felt like penance, atonement, salvation.

My entire body heaved and then Frigga was crying out for help, warmness spreading across my thighs.

I smelled blood.

The night nurse entered with two others, the midwife taking over from where Frigga had been tending to me. "Kill me and banish me to Hel," I screamed out, writhing in the bed as the nurses held my legs down. I held out my hand to her, an engrained need to have someone with me inescapable, "Frigga, take my hand." My body tightened and I became something greater than myself in that moment- I became pain and strength and might, my legs straining against the bed. I braced myself for the push, letting out a sharp, piercing scream of pure anguish and ire, feeling my body rising up underneath me. It felt as my entire body was being ripped apart and then something bumped against my thighs, my hands letting go of Frigga's as I reached down to take my child into my arms.

"Oh, oh," I cried, looking down at the perfect, bloody and silent newborn in my arms.

Eyes the color of Thor's searched mine, the nurses moving quickly to cut her life cord. "My lady, let us take her from you- you must continue to push," the midwife said, her words seeming faint as I looked at my daughter. Her skin was a mix of mine and Thor's wisps of dark hair adorning her crown. My daughter had her father's strong jaw and my mouth, the lightest smattering of freckles ornamenting her lovely cheeks. "My darling Theia," I whispered, taking the blanket that Frigga gave me and wiping the blood off of her.

I laid there for what could have been hours, basking in the newness of my relationship with Theia.

"I demand to be with my wife! If I am not granted entrance-"

"Frigga, bring my husband to me," I said quietly, Theia cooing quietly against my skin as I began to feed her. I watched quietly as Thor opened the door, his eyes cautious as the nurses covered me up so as to spare his sensitive nature. He looked at the naked baby against my chest before finally meeting my eyes, "Halea… I am so sorry, my love. I heard your screams and your pains- if I had known I would have never touched you." I saw the distraught look on his face and shook my head, running my finger down Theia's rounded belly. "Do not regret having lain with me- if you had not, we would not have Theia." He came to my side and looked down at our daughter, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "My precious, lovely Theia. Oh how you look like your mother," Thor murmured, stroking her cheek.

After awhile I felt faint, Frigga looking at Thor seriously, "She still bleeds Thor and her body will not be able to heal whilst still in labor. Halea must deliver your second child quickly before she becomes too weak." I groggily protested and attempted to open my eyes to protest, feeling Thor stroking my curls back from my forehead.

"Halea, you have heard mother. I need you to wake up and finish what you have started," he murmured, sighing when I shook my head. "I am too tired Thor- I have failed you. And our baby," I replied sadly, my hand pressing my swollen and battered womb.

I willingly allowed Frigga to take Theia from my arms, Thor moving to sit beside me as he pulled me up into the bed. "I know you Halea and I know that you are stronger than this," he said, gripping my hand and squeezing encouragingly. I leaned against him and sighed, feeling the contractions within me worsen from the movement. It was still, however, much time before I was able to push again, feeling unbearable pressure building unpleasantly in my loins. I bore down, roaring like some sort of possessed animal, my sweat-soaked hair falling forward into my face. "Thor, grab the back of my thigh," I said, grabbing the other. He did as I asked and I pressed against the force he was exerting against my flesh, crying out in pain.

"Just one more push, my lady-"

I screamed my husband's name as tears streamed down my face, the scent of blood and salt heavy in the air as it mingled with the hearty, shrill screams of my newborn. Slumping back against the pillows, I tried to catch my breath, Thor pressing his hand to my chest to try and help me regain my calm. "You must breathe Halea. Slowly, evenly… in and out," he whispered, cradling me within his arms.

There were victorious cries that fell almost silent upon my ears, Frigga holding my child in her arms as she sobbed happily, "You have an heir, Thor-"

"Mother, her heartbeat is faint and she will not rouse," Thor said nervously, one of the nurses coming to my side and pressing her hand to my chest as well. I struggled to keep my eyes open so that I could see my husband even as I felt myself being smothered by some unseen force, Thor being escorted from the room against his will.

"Get me a healer!"


	37. The Heir

"Thor, it has been almost a week now. We must consider the possibility that she may not awaken," a soft voice said, tender fingers stroking the axis of my cheek. I wanted to touch Thor so bad, knowing that he was suffering. I struggled with all my might through the fog that was the barrier between awareness and unconsciousness, wanting only to lay eyes upon my son, to hold Theia in my arms.

To kiss Thor…

I would breathe and I would wake up and I would live.

"Oh," I exhaled heavily, finding myself painfully responsive now that could truly feel my body once more. I felt Thor lean over me, his breath sweet and warm upon my face, "Halea, did you speak? Say something else; please, my love, say something."

"I love you," I said hoarsely, breathing deeply as I struggled to open my eyes. I repeated my words over and over, his fingers wrapping around mine tightly, Thor giving me the strength to wake up. His handsome face came into focus, not five inches away from my own, his eyes searching mine. And then he kissed me hard, his hand cupping my cheek, "Oh, my sweet! You scared me; I thought- I thought I was going to lose you."

A healer and a nurse appeared over Thor's shoulder, coming to my side. "Queen Halea, how nice it is to see you awake. How do you feel my lady," the healer asked, watching as I moved to sit up. The pain below my waist from my movement was horrific, my cry short and sharp as I fell back into my pillows, tears welling up in my eyes. "You must be careful my lady, you are not yet fully healed. It will take some more weeks-"

"I want my son," I whispered, looking at Thor. "Bring me my son, please."

Frigga stood in the doorway of my maternity suit, holding a bundle in her arms that she was currently beaming at, "He has never been far from you Halea; he would cry any time we would try to take him from this room; your son has missed you…" Thor helped me get my head up and smiled, Frigga laying my son on my chest. I exhaled in awe, the active baby on my chest smiling before reaching out to press his hand to my throat. "Oh, he is so incredibly lovely," I whispered, stroking his fine blonde curls as his colorless eyes met my own.

"His name is Cierian Thor-son," Thor murmured, pressing his hand on top of mine.

I smiled and looked up at him, "It is beautiful- a name fit for a king."

"No one other than this healer and these nurses and our family knows that we have an heir to the throne. The entire world is waiting with bated breath on my word," he said quietly, meeting my eyes with a smile when I glared at him. "They will know Halea, but those concerns are not of importance right now- you are. And I am much too happy now with you and Cierian and Theia to care; give me a few more days of privacy."

"The people will worry," I warned him, Thor bending down to kiss my forehead.

He stroked my hair back away from my cheek and smiled, "And they will be fine. Now be silent and let me look at you as your hold our son. This is a moment I wish to cherish forever."

I began to feed Cierian when he started to fuss, my hair falling over my face.

"May I have my daughter," Thor asked quietly, looking up at one of the nurses. I marveled over my two beautiful children, my hand cradling my son's downy head as Theia cooed and played with Thor's fingers. My children were young and new, happy and beautiful- everything I could have asked for. I watched as Thor and Theia played before turning to look down at Cierian once more, smiling softly. "My cherished son- my heir," I whispered, stroking his cheek before shifting as Thor moved to press his body against my own.

"My family."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you wish to do this," Thor asked, his hands upon my hips.<p>

I smiled and nodded, holding onto his shoulders for support, "I am sure Thor. It has been over two weeks since I have given birth- I can sit now and I am ready. I need to be able to care for my children. I can stand." Thor let out a heavy breath and eased me to my feet, the sharp pains that had plagued me now only a dull ache here and there. I smiled up at him and began to walk tentatively towards my nursery, finding the twins' nurse rocking Theia to sleep.

"My lady Halea, you are walking," she smiled, watching me as I walked over to Cierian's crib. He looked incredibly peaceful, Thor sighing proudly as we looked down upon him, "He is so beautiful."

"He is our heir," I murmured, reaching down to stroke his curls lovingly.

The nurse brought Theia to me and I held her against my breast, humming softly. My husband stroked her cheek before looking up at me with a smile upon his face, leaning down to kiss me passionately. "I believe it well past time to announce our heir," Thor murmured, turning his attention back to the babe within my arms.

I nodded and smiled, laying Theia down to pick up her brother.

"Our heir is quite-"

"Beautiful," Thor replied firmly, leading me out to our balcony. The whole of Asgard was in front of us, my husband pulling on the rope that was the massive bell above our chambers. The entire kingdom took heed of his call, Thor smiling back as me as I leaned against the doorway with our sleeping son in my arms. "My kingdom, your princess… and heir have been borne into the world! My wife has given birth to Princess Theia and the future king, Cierian! Rejoice!"

The sound of cheering and applause was deafening, my hand covering my son's ear protectively.

I walked towards the railing and smiled, watching as the streets burst into jubilation over the fact that their throne was secure. Thor and I looked down at Cierian as he awoke in my arms, his eyes meeting mine.

"You will be king one day, Cierian Thor-son. And you will make us so very proud…"


	38. Yggdrasil

I dreamed of the galaxy spinning out before me, seeing the Nine Realms of the Cosmos by the branches of Yggdrasil. Never had I seen the World's Tree, the quasar-like form immense, sprawling with glowing energy stretching out into the black void of space.

"They search," I whispered, sitting straight up in my bed.

Thor laid on the other side of our bed, Theia pressed closed to his chest and his hand on Cierian's rounded tummy from where my son had been laying at my side. I looked at them longingly, wanting to join them once more in sleep, before getting out of bed and padding out onto the balcony. The night was quiet and beautiful, the universe sparkling before me.

The rainbow bridge was still under construction, the Bifrost still floating out into the void that was space. My loose curls and short nightgown ruffled lightly in the breeze, the cool air caressing my flesh. I smiled as gentle fingers also began to stroke my bare shoulders, looking up at Thor, "I thought I left you sleeping."

"You felt… disturbed," he murmured, brushing his lips against my jaw.

"I dreamed of Yggdrasil," I replied quietly, turning in Thor's arms as he held me against his chest. I inhaled deeply as my fingers danced slowly across his throat, biting my bottom lip, "And it was so beautiful, but not like I have always thought of the tree- it was more… scientific. Like I was looking at it on one of Jane's machines."

Thor's eyes searched my own and he tucked my hair behind my ear, "Do you miss it? Midgard?"

I looked away from him and sighed, swallowing painfully.

"The human race- they always sought to understand what was beyond themselves and beyond their world, longing to know how they were connected to the heavens. They never comprehended a universe of wonder and beauty and terror and war… and neither did I. Jane and Erik and Darcy and that entire town- those humans made me thankful for being banished, made me understand something greater than myself. All my life I thought that I was superior to their kind, but once I was one of them, I loved them. And I do, I love them and I miss them so very much," I replied, Thor stroking my cheek as he sighed.

My husband pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting my head up.

"They must understand that we could not return- especially when we promised them we would," Thor said thoughtfully, kissing me. He pulled away when I smiled, taking in my fit of laughter, "Does something amuse you?"

"Yes it does. I think Yggdrasil was a symbol of what is to come- they know we cannot get there on our own and so they are using the Tree, Thor."

We exchanged a look before staring out at the moon, Thor smiling as he finally understood, "They are helping us find our way back."

In front of us was a superhuman task- a collaboration between two worlds on a way to bring them together once more- and a future that held more than we could imagine. We had a universe to protect, for we had sworn our allegiance and one day, soon, we would be called upon to defend that precious universe.

But until then, we were parents, leaders, man and wife.

And we were forever warriors.


	39. Author's Note

**Author's Note (New)**

I promised that once I reached 25 reviews that I would post the sequel to this story, titled _A Simple Man_, which I have now done! All of the reviews were favorable and I would especially like to thank **First Lady Lestat** for her review which led to the condensing of my short chapters into longer ones that will hopefully better streamline and open up the story. As for character development, this installment is shown from Thor's point of view which is very different and much more direct that Halea's, as I believe him to be very focused on what is put in front of him ((this is, after all, my take on the character, so please don't bite my head off :)) Although many of you would have liked more insight into their background, I just couldn't put forth their origins as friends and eventual lovers in the sequel as it would have distorted the storyline.

But to remedy this problem... I have started work on a** prequel** involving both Thor and Halea, **and** Loki as well- whose intertwining relationship with Halea and Thor will prove catalyst to this story and other potential sequels. In that 'origin story', all questions and loose ends will be addressed through their youth (the prequel, is of course set before the happenings in _A Mighty Heart._) Well, since I feel as if I am rambling, I would like you to continue on in reading _A Simple Man_ which will be updated with one to two new chapters (or more) with every five reviews I recieve.

*Chapter Five will be updated once I have recieved ten reviews for the first four chapters (I think it only fair).

-**With much love and thanks, ****Lady Elle**

.net/s/8130559/1/bA_b_bSimple_b_bMan_b


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